School review cost 'Out Of Control'

As reported by the East Anglian Times

When Suffolk County Council decided to pursue its school organisation review (SOR) last year, the entire process was expected to cost between £58million and £70million.
But it has now emerged the cost of the SOR in Haverhill and Lowestoft alone could cost as much as £73million, with the Haverhill portion now expected to cost between £18.7 and £25.7million, Lowestoft between £7.8 and £21.1million and a new secondary school for Lowestoft at a cost of £26.5million.
It means the end total for just these two towns could reach £73.3 million - more than £3million above the original cost set out for the entire SOR project.
It does not account for the next areas to be looked at which include Saxmundham, Leiston, Brandon, Beccles, Bungay, Leiston, Mildenhall, Bury St Edmunds, Sudbury, Thurston and Stowmarket.
Keith Anderson, honorary secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters, Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), said the current figures would spiral upwards still further if the council created a new sixth form centre for Haverhill.He said he now feared, faced with the mounting SOR bill, the county council might plug for the cheapest option.“It would not surprise me if they try doing this on the cheap. The reality will start to come home and this is just Haverhill and Lowestoft. This will be a huge concern for pupils, parents and staff.”

Full story at: http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?brand=EADOnline&category=News&tBrand=EADOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=IPED10%20Mar%202008%2023%3A05%3A14%3A940