A network of school leaders in Worcestershire has expressed “grave concern” about an “imminent funding crisis” caused by staff pay increases.
In a letter to MPs, the Worcestershire Association of Secondary Head Teachers said the 5% increase was “significantly higher” than budgeted.
Schools faced a choice between staff cuts or maintenance, the letter said.
The Department for Education said base funding has increased by £4bn this year.
The letter, written on behalf of 32 county school principals, was signed by Bryn Thomas of Wolverley CE Secondary School.
Mr Thomas said that while the pay premium has helped cushion the rise in the cost of living, it has not been “fully funded” and means schools are facing “immediate budgetary pressures”.
“The typical Worcestershire secondary school faces a £150,000 to £200,000 increase in staff costs this financial year,” he wrote.
In a survey of association members, all 22 respondents said staff cuts in their schools were “likely” and could lead to larger class sizes and a tighter curriculum.
Almost half of the schools told the association that they would also likely reduce maintenance spending.
“What little remains is being squeezed by inflationary pressures unmatched by increases in school budgets,” the letter added.
Mr Thomas told the BBC that without additional funding, the school would be forced to operate at a loss after its firm energy contract ended in April.
“If we’re not protected, we’re looking at a tripling of that £125,000 bill, meaning a further £250,000 will come out of the £900,000 we need to run our school,” he said.
“So this is really not sustainable. If those raises aren’t funded and we have to go into deficit, paying them back in the long run means we have less money to spend on the students and on the school.”
The letter was sent to Worcestershire MPs Rachel Maclean, Mark Garnier, Harriet Baldwin, Robin Walker, Sajid Javid and Nigel Huddleston.
Mr Garnier, Conservative member of Wyre Forest, told the BBC he had spoken informally to most of his Worcestershire colleagues, who supported the school’s request for additional funding.
“We’re going to go out there and try to see if we can convince the government to go ahead with the appropriate funding,” he said.
Ms Maclean’s office told the BBC she would forward the correspondence to Education Secretary Kit Malthouse.
A Department of Education spokesman said schools would be supported with £53.8 billion in core funding.
“All schools will benefit from the Energy Effort Program, which limits how much schools have to spend on their energy and gives them more certainty about their budgets during the winter months,” they added.
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