The new leader of the council has suggested that Bristol could pull out of a government bailout deal on special needs education. Rising demand and costs for supporting disabled children has left a growing black hole in Bristol City Council ’s schools budget.
Earlier this year the Department for Education agreed to write off most of the council’s ballooning deficit, estimated at about £56 million. But in return the council has to carry out stringent reforms to support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
This has led to questions over whether the council could take some of the money and then pull out of the deal. The new council leader was quizzed on his plans about the Safety Valve deal in a meeting of the strategy and resources policy committee.
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Green Councillor Tony Dyer, leader of the council, said: “There’ll be a…
