June 23, 2019, BBC News: Cambridge school asks parents to raise £60k [$76K US] to plug budget gap https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-48721129 A parent has said she was "appalled and outraged" at being asked to help raise £60,000 to fund her daughter's state school…. "This is a state school, it should be funded by the state," added Donna, mother of seven-year-old Flora. A government spokesman said Cambridgeshire had received a rise of 3.5% compared to its 2017 budget. Tony Davies, head teacher said the complexities of education funding and higher costs meant the increase had not translated into extra cash. … "We have already had to make cuts in computers and other classroom resources and it has had an impact on the provision of counselling services," he said. Donna, whose daughter is in Year Two, said the issue of school underfunding was driving her "mad". "This is about the future of not just our children but of the whole country . If education is not funded properly, what kind of future will this country have?" she asked. In a statement, the Department for Education said an extra £20m had been given to Cambridgeshire's schools this year - a rise of 3.5%. But it did acknowledge the pressures on school budgets and said the department would back head teachers "as we approach the next spending review". Simon Bywater, chairman of the Children and Young People committee on Conservative-run Cambridgeshire County Council, welcomed the cash, but said schools struggled with extra costs, including providing education for a rising number of pupils with special needs.
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