Council departments are facing tough decisions, says officials

The local authority said every department, including education, was facing 2.5% spending cuts in the next financial year.

Councillors will vote on the budget on 27 January.

Two years ago, the council recommended a similar reduction for education which was eventually voted out.

Powys Council's board, which has recommended the move, also plans a 4.95% increase in council tax. There are also proposals to close 20 of the county's 60 public toilets.

The council is looking to save �1.53m by reducing the schools delegated budget. It pays for teachers' salaries, school trips, books and non-teaching staff, amongst other things.

All service departments have been asked to make very difficult decisions Powys Council

The authority said it was the most difficult budget it had worked on since local authority reorganisation 10 years ago.

A council spokesman said: "The authority has reduced the delegated budget so it is up schools and governing bodies to decide how they spend their delegated budget.

"All service departments have been asked to make very difficult decisions while trying to balance the needs of the public and service delivery.

"We are protecting and maintaining services while minimising the impact of council tax."

The spokesman added: "The authority is moving towards a budget delivery that is associated with its corporate objectives and while that means significant spending on things such as social care and particularly children's services, there will be areas where spending is reduced."

The delegated budget helps run schools

Geraint Davies, secretary in Wales of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), said it was "bad news for every single school in Powys".

"The planned cut to the delegated schools budget has the potential to cause massive problems for schools," said Mr Davies.

"Schools are finding it difficult to make ends meet in Powys and this could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

"Making cuts to the delegated budget affects core services and it could mean that teachers could be made redundant within the authority."