A COUNCILLOR today demanded that builders who fail to meet completion deadlines at schools be fined.
The start of the autumn term at a number of schools in Kirklees has been delayed - again due to building hold-ups.
Hundreds of pupils at Royds Hall High School in Paddock, Holmfirth High School, Thornhill High School in Dewsbury and Rawthorpe Infants School will not return to school on time.
A spokeswoman for Kirklees Council education service, said today that pupils at Holmfirth High should return tomorrow, while pupils at Royds Hall should not return until Thursday.
"The work at Royds Hall is finished. It's just the tidying up that needs to be done," said communications officer Sue Lord.
She said it was always the plan at Rawthorpe Infants to return on Thursday.
Thornhill High will be opened for Year 7 pupils at 10am on Thursday and at 8.40am next Monday for Years eight to 11.
The work at the schools is being handled by building services company, Jarvis, as part of its £43m schools maintenance contract with Kirklees Council.
The firm has carried out around £4m worth of work at a number of schools over the summer holiday.
Kirklees itself has carried out work costing between £2m and £3m at schools across the district over the summer period.
But Tory councillor Khizar Iqbal, a governor at Thornhill High, said fines should be imposed for the hold-ups.
"Our school was already opening up one week late, to give Jarvis the opportunity to finish," he said.
"Now, we have been told they cannot even meet that date.
"It's time for Kirklees to take this issue seriously."
Pupils at Holmfirth Junior Infant and Nursery School should return next Monday.
A spokeswoman for the school said dry rot was found at the end of last term and workmen have spent the summer treating it.
"It's very dusty and dirty at the moment, so it was decided last Friday that, instead of children returning on Wednesday, they should return to school next Monday," she said.
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