GOVERNORS from Llanfyllin High School are setting up a petition against Powys County Council’s home to school transport policy.
They announced the aim after travelling to County Hall to support another school’s petition against the policy.
Representatives from Builth Wells High School presented their petition to David Price, chairman of Powys County Council.
There was even a measure of instant success, with the council announcing that transport matters will be debated at a special meeting about secondary education.
Both Builth and Llanfyllin have serious reservations over the home to school transport policy, which only allows for pupils to be transported to their nearest school.
The policy also prevents schools from using their delegated budgets to fund transportation costs.
Representatives from Builth Wells High School confirmed they would consider a legal challenge over the policy if the council does not rethink.
David Eyres, governor at Llanfyllin who travelled to Llandrindod to give the petition his backing, said: “The governing body at Llanfyllin High School is opposed to the change of Powys transport policy that prevents schools from subsidising home-school transport.
“On the basis of legal advice the governors were given at the time, the school has made arrangements that will make the affected bus routes self-financing at the end of the transition period, and the governors did the best that they could in the circumstances to safeguard the interests of pupils.
“However this petition by Builth parents opens up the possibility of a challenge to the legality of the transport policy via the ombudsman for Wales.
“I am here today as a parent to support the Builth parents and will be looking to raise a petition by parents at Llanfyllin to take to the ombudsman,” he said.