Ministry alters sums on school funding

The Ministry of Education has revised its figures for locally raised funds after principals complained the original numbers misled parents into believing they were being "gouged" for cash.

Several school heads said there were inaccuracies in the ministry's figures on locally raised funds which the Weekend Herald obtained last week in response to a request under the Official Information Act.

The ministry said state and integrated schools raised $712.8 million locally last year.

But its revised total is closer to $570 million.

Ministry executive David Lambie said the original figures contained revenue and expenditure data from the use of land and buildings.

The new information excluded that.

The ministry also provided a definition of locally raised funds, which it says are made up of donations, activities, trading and fundraising.

This can include materials gifted to schools, camps and trips, schools supplying uniforms and fundraising.

The revised figures came after several schools contacted the Weekend Herald complaining that the original numbers gave the impression they were asking for more contributions from parents and communities.

Avondale College in Auckland took the top spot on the table with a gross figure of $4,733,761 in locally raised funds.

But principal Brent Lewis said the ministry's concept of locally raised funds was "misleading" and "unhelpful" for parents.

Under the ministry's definition of locally raised funds, he said, the school would have to include its homestay and tour group programmes and early childhood centre.

The school ball, affiliation fees for sports and the revenue from the 1400 students who sat NCEA were also counted as locally raised funds.

"That gets labelled as school income but it's not our income, it's [the Qualifications Authority's] income. We don't get it and, of course, the larger the school, the bigger the numbers get.

"The implication for our parents is we are gouging a lot out of them when it is not the case at all."

Sacred Heart College in Auckland, which was previously listed as having the highest amount of locally raised revenue, tumbled to 11th place with a gross figure of $3,022,702.

Sacred Heart chairman Brendan Lawler said the original figure included a notional amount for the use of land and buildings of about $3.2 million, which was an accounting figure based on the value of the property.

He said the original figure also did not take into account commercial activities such as the school's aquatics and sports centre which were sublet.

A "substantial portion" of the college's revenue also went towards servicing bank debts on buildings.

The finance committee chairman at Kerikeri High in the Far North, Lane Ayr, said the $1.68 million the ministry had said the school raised last year was "out by about $1.2 million".

"At best, we raised $500,000 last year, so it certainly creates some awkwardness for us," said Mr Ayr.

The ministry's Mr Lambie said schools could get revenue from a number of sources, which could also be offset by expenses that did not show in the "locally raised income" figures.

He said comparisons were not valid because all schools had different ways of calculating locally raised income.

FUNDRAISING

Local funds:
* Donations: voluntary donations from parents, materials gifted to schools.
* Activities: includes school camps or field trips, costs for sports and music activities.
* Trading: includes supply of school uniforms, lunches and stationery.
* Fundraising.

Other non-government income can arise from:
* International students.
* Hostel fees.
* Use of land and building grants.

TOP 10
* Locally raised funds for schools in 2008 (gross amounts):
* Avondale College: $4,733,761
* Rangitoto College: $4,683,130
* Auckland Grammar: $4,514,142
* Macleans College: $4,103,214
* Mt Roskill Grammar: $3,951,604
* Westlake Boys High School: $3,803,113
* Epsom Girls Grammar School: $3,463,331
* Takapuna Grammar School: $3,239,012
* Bethlehem College: $3,108,122
* Burnside High School: $3,090,918

Source Ministry of Education