A delay in progress on restoring the villages of Dunnington and Elvington to Fulford School's catchment area has been criticised by Liberal Democrat councillors in York.
Parents in both the Fulford and Archbishop Holgate's CE School catchment areas are to be consulted on the change back during the summer term, as already reported.
Under education regulations, this would mean a permanent change could not come into force before September 2003, as arrangements have to be consulted and agreed upon by the previous April.
Meanwhile, parents in the two villages, which are now in the catchment for Archbishop Holgate's, have been assured that their children will continue to get priority for spare places at Fulford if they express a preference. Councillor Steve Galloway, Liberal Democrat leader, told a Shadow Executive meeting he was concerned that, although the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives had voted through a decision last summer to restore the link with Fulford, the permanent change was not due to come into force until September 2003.
And parent Tony Walmsley, from Dunnington, told councillors that people would carry on campaigning until the change back was made.
Chris Edwards, acting education director, said he had taken over his post in November and, after consulting with the relevant education watchdog, the Local Admissions Forum, had brought a report to the Liberal Democrats' Shadow Executive group on the issue in January.
He said both the Local Admissions Forum and the Church of England Diocese had insisted that any change was brought in slowly and carefully and if it was not, they were likely to report the council for maladministration.
He also said there would be long-term implications of putting up more buildings at Fulford and for pupil numbers at other York secondary schools.
The council had also sought legal advice from the Government, which had taken a long time to come through, and said there would be an obligation to consult parents in the Fulford and Archbishop Holgate's areas.
Updated: 15:53 Wednesday, April 04, 2001
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