PRIMARY school class sizes in deprived communities will be increased and teachers axed as part of a council's efforts to make cuts and savings in excess of £40 million in the next two years.
South Lanarkshire Council has unveiled a raft of proposals to save almost £20m in the next financial year, claiming it expects to face a budget gap of the same again in 2016/17.
No details have been published for the following year.
One plan involves removing additional teachers to keep P1 and P2 class sizes at no more than 18 children, a proposal that would target 20 schools with some of the authority's most deprived catchments.
From next August the classes would have the current statutory limit, which is up to 25 children for P1 classes while there can be 30 pupils in P2 and P3 classes.
Other options to save £3.25m within the authority's education budget include cutting the number of qualified nursery teachers by 35 full-time equivalent posts, with the posts being filled with less qualified staff.
Other proposals include the closure of one library and reducing opening hours in all others, removing dozens of school crossing patrols, replacing chartered teachers with unpromoted colleagues and introducing the statutory limit for school transportation.
Reduction in the staffing of music tutors in schools, as well as the early release of school management and behavioural support posts have also been raised.
Other proposals include increasing the charge for frozen meals, as well as Meals On Wheels, in the latter case by 50 per cent from £2 to £3.
Pensioner lunch club meals would also go up to £3.
Junior swimming, golf and car parking are among services and activities targeted for increases in charges, in some cases by 30 per cent.
Marriage ceremonies, civic licensing charges and bereavement services also face a rise in costs.
Transport to a raft of voluntary organisations, including disability groups, face the axe, while payments to a variety of voluntary groups will be cut, in some instances by 100 per cent.
More outsourcing of care home services would lead to 92 job losses, while civic Christmas decorations also face being scaled back.
Council leader Eddie McAvoy said: "The council has already undertaken several rounds of efficiencies over the years. Every time we have to find further savings there is a danger they will bite deeper into the work we can do.
"But we will continue to do everything possible to minimise the impact on essential frontline services, particularly looking after our most vulnerable residents, and especially the young and the old.
"The council has a legal obligation to balance its budget. The challenge to all councillors who will make the final decision is that if they want to reject any proposals in the package they need to find other ways to save money."
South Lanarkshire is the latest council to unveil plans to bridge the funding gap for the years ahead. Other councils have announced frontline services, including education and social care, will come under immense pressure in the years ahead.
Last week one think tank announced Scotland was seeing declining budgets over an extended period for the first time since the Second World War and now faced the prospect of three more years of deep reductions in public spending.
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