Opting in to the Ministry of Education’s $150 per student pay deal might guarantee around $180,000 in Ashburton College’s budget, but it could also mean some school activities are canned, says principal Ross Preece.

The college is among hundreds of decile one to seven schools around New Zealand that have decided to scrap their voluntary school donation in favour of receiving the $150 per student payout.

And while Preece is cautiously optimistic it will be a winner for the college, he is going into the deal eyes wide open, knowing there will need to be plenty of juggling and a few sacrifices of traditional activities.

“I think we’ll be about $20,000 to $30,000 better off because we’ll be guaranteed money for every child in the school but at the moment we can ask for cost recovery for activities and we won’t be able to do this.

“That will force us to make choices,” he said.

An example of cost recovery would be the traditional Year 9 ropes course.

This comes with a $70 per student cost that is recovered from parents.

Under the new system the $70 would absorb half of a student’s $150 grant and could not be recovered from parents.

Overnight camp fees, however could be recovered and this could see schools combining two activities to ensure there was an overnight component, Preece said.

“We’re trying to resist the temptation to do this but it could mean there are activities we don’t do. We’re already looking at some of the ‘nice to do’ activities that we can charge for.”

While the bulk fee option guaranteed a payment for every student, in deciding whether or not to take up the option, schools ran the risk of parents refusing to pay the voluntary school levy if they turned it down, on the basis that education was supposed to be free.

“Overall we feel taking it up was the right thing to do because for many families being asked for $150 at the start of the school year presents something of a challenge.”

The college’s voluntary donation was $100 per child or $150 for two or more children.

The initiative will see schools receive their additional funding in January 2020, alongside their regular operational funding.

Secondary schools, with their wider range of extra activities were likely to feel the impact of the new deal more than primary schools, and whether or not signing on was the right option would become clear at the end of 2020 when schools took stock of the activities they had done and had not been able to do, Preece said.

By Sue Newman © The Ashburton Guardian - 30 November 2019