TOWN hall bosses are flirting with disaster in trying to find more money for the borough's hard-up schools.

They are taking £440,000 out of contingency funds to help schools penalised under a new way of allocating grants.

They admit that the move is "a calculated risk" which could leave the budget short for emergencies.

Representatives of local primary schools made their case for more money to councillors at the latest meeting of the executive.

Mr Chris Blomerley, head teacher of Gorsefield CP School, in Radcliffe, said Bury must act to reduce the funding differentials between primary and secondary schools.

And Mr Alan Cookson, the head of Old Hall CP School, Bury, said that primary funding had reached crisis point in Bury.

"A large number of primary schools are facing serious financial problems through inadequate levels of funding," he said. "I know the blame lies in London, but certain things are in the remit of this council."

Changes to the funding system mean that more emphasis is being placed on "funding following the pupil", i.e. based on pupil numbers. This effectively reduces the amount allocated to some schools under "social factors", and especially those with large premises and falling rolls.

Councillors agreed to take the £440,000 out of contingency funds to supplement school budgets. But they will wait until this Wednesday (Feb 19) to decide precisely how much individual schools will get.

Mr Mike Owen, director of finance, delivered a "health warning" that schools would be on their own should they need sudden major repairs, such as the boiler blowing up.

Coun John Byrne, council leader, admitted that this was a calculated risk, but hoped that capital funding that schools had built up in recent years would enable them to pay for such major repairs.

Teacher redundancies might have to be made at Parrenthorn High School in Prestwich.

So says Mr Arthur Francis, head teacher, who says that the funding formula shake-up will leave his school £42,000 short.

He also warns that the shortfall could mean larger class sizes, increased workloads and cuts in planned improvements.