The price of school lunches across Moray could be increased in an effort to help the cash-strapped council balance its books.
Moray Council is facing a £12million deficit over the next year, and now the administration has revealed its proposals to recoup £3.5million.
Increasing charges for lunches, music lessons and sports coaching – as well as shelving a parking review of Elgin town centre – are among the proposals.
Vice chairman of the council’s children and young people’s services committee, George Alexander, stressed that the move was necessary to shield vital public services from cuts.
But concerned parents responded that placing any added strain on household budgets was “unacceptable”.
The 10% rise school dinners, which will apply at both primary and secondaries, would take a meal to £2.30 each day. The move is expected to boost the council’s books by £120,000.
Parents fear the move will punish families who are already struggling to pay the £2.10 meal charge each day.
Secretary of Elgin’s East End Primary School’s parent council, Susan Munro, said: “It seems the council is trying to get its money back from people that are struggling as it is.
“The price of meals every day is a lot of money to some families.
“I only have one child at East End, but I know a lot of parents with two or three, and this just won’t be affordable for some of them.
“It’s pretty unacceptable to propose a raise of that amount.”
Chairwoman of St Peter’s RC school in Buckie, Sybil Wilson, echoed those concerns.
She added: “The bulk of children at the school have siblings, so many parents will be looking at a 20% or 30% increase in costs every day.
“This idea definitely will have parents worried that they could end up paying substantially more.”
Elgin City South councillor, John Divers, vowed to investigate the matter with local authority officers prior to a crunch budget meeting on Wednesday.
Mr Divers’ ward contains New Elgin Primary School, which is the biggest in the town, and he anticipated the announcement would stun its parents.
He said: “I can well understand why parents would have deep concerns about this.
“Currently meals are £2.10 each day and the increase would bring that to £2.30 – that all adds up and you have to question who the administration is targeting in trying to get its money back.”
Other sweeping charge reforms across the region’s schools as part of its budget for the upcoming financial year.
Prices for instrument lessons will increase by 5%, from £214 a year to £256 a year for group classes and from £316 to £379 for individual tuition.
Those increases are expected to net £28,000 for the financially beleaguered body.
A 5% increase in the price of sports coaching sessions is anticipated to add £3,300 to the council’s coffers.
Administration member Mr Alexander said the council had been placed in a “horrible” position by Holyrood ministers who dashed plans to plug its deficit by raising council tax.
He said: “People should remember that we still subsidise school meals, and, even with an increase in cost, parents aren’t paying their full value.
“Children in primaries one to three, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds will continue to get free meals.
“Of course, there is also the option that children be sent to schools with packed lunches.”
He added: “This is a horrible situation for the council to be in, but the public must remember the only other way we could create these savings is by cutting services.
“That is the last thing we want to do.”
Along with amassing an expected £3.5million in savings, the council will plough £6.3million from reserves into filling the budget gap.
The Scottish Government will also award the local authority £1.1million for maintaining the council tax freeze.
Last night, Moray Council’s SNP opposition group declined to comment on the administration’s budget proposals.
The Nationalists’ alternative programme is expected to be announced later this week.