Cllr Kelly singled out Ridgeway High, which has seen improved results in GCSEs “making it the second best community school in Wirral”.
He said: “What message does it send if we close a successful school? We should reward success – not punish it by closure and replacement with a vocational boys-only establishment.
“The proposal is to ‘take it or leave it’, without the opportunity to make any other suggestions to improve Birkenhead schools.”
Cllr Kelly is a senior member of the Lib-Dem group, which shares power with Labour.
When he revealed the academies plan, deputy leader of the Labour group and cabinet member for education, Cllr Phil Davies, said it was an “extremely exciting development” which would give young people in Birkenhead top-class facilities.
