PARENTS have been warned that a massive school reorganisation could be delayed by months.

Kirklees Council’s Conservative-run Cabinet last month announced a radical shake-up of schools in Mirfield, Dewsbury, Batley and other parts of north Kirklees.

Parents and teachers are being consulted on the £200m plan, which would see 11 schools close.

But opposition councillors have tabled a motion for Wednesday’s monthly council meeting, demanding that the plans go back to the drawing board after a chorus of disapproval from the public

Kirklees Lib Dem leader Cllr Kath Pinnock said: “A lot of residents have told me they are worried that this consultation is not fair.

“People who don’t currently have children in the school system have been excluded and feel their views are not being considered.

“The Cabinet should do the right thing and scrap the consultation.”

Kirklees Labour leader Cllr Mehboob Khan agrees.

The Greenhead ward councillor said: “This decision will affect schooling for 50 years, so it is vital that it is made in the best interests of all pupils, both current and future.

“Citizens have expressed deep concerns about the rationale behind school changes and it is our duty to try to persuade the Cabinet to listen to local people and restart the consultation process.”

But Conservative Clr Jim Dodds, the Cabinet member for young people said: “If the motion is passed we will have to scrap the consultation.

“That would put the whole project back months.

“I find it very sad that the other parties are trying to score points at the expense of young people in Kirklees. We’ve all got to work together for the good of young people.”

Cllr Dodds added that the consultation process was thorough.

He said: “We’re involving as many people as possible, not just in the secondary schools but in primaries and nurseries as well. Information on the consultation is available in libraries and in the local press.

“The consultation is not just open to people who have children in schools at the moment.”

The Conservative plans would see Castle Hall School in Mirfield closing by August, 2013, with pupils transferring to an extended Mirfield Free Grammar.

Hundreds of parents and children protested last Saturday in the grounds of Castle Hall. The school gets the best GCSE results in north Kirklees when maths and English are included.

Birkdale and Westborough high schools in Dewsbury would also shut, to be replaced by a new academy for north Kirklees.

Batley Girls’ High School, Visual Arts College and Batley Business and Enterprise College would close to make way for a co-educational centre for 11 to 16-year-olds.

Five middle schools – Birkenshaw, RM Grylls in Liversedge, Gomersal C of E and West End and Whitechapel in Cleckheaton – would also shut as Kirklees plans to return to a two-tier system.

Plans for Huddersfield schools should be announced late next year.