The reason for the decision is that the independent schools should receive the same amount of school money as the municipalities, according to the principle of equal treatment. When the school money was lowered for the municipal schools, it was also lowered for the free schools, retroactively.
The free schools lose a total of 8.2 million in compensation from the municipality. For some schools it will be a bigger bang than for others. Blomenbergska gets rid of just over SEK 170,000, which they had expected.
- In concrete terms, we will have to postpone investments that we would have made in the school yard. It feels uneasy to not know in advance, says Jessika Petersson, principal at Blomenbergska school.
"The time factor we take on"The board made its decision in December, when the budget was already set. The criticism from opposition parties and the schools is based on the fact that the decision was made so late in the year.
- I am self-employed and understand that it is ours to receive a negative financial message this late in the year. So we have to take on the time factor. But otherwise, I think the right has become right, says Anders Eriksson (C), chairman of the Children's and Youth Committee.
Blomenbergska, together with other free schools, has appealed the decision and it is now the administrative law that decides whether the municipality has done right.