Fundraising Information - FAQ

 Understanding Our School's Fundraising Efforts

Unfortunately, as a school, we find ourselves in a constant state of fundraising. Our School Board  recognises that this can be confusing at times, so we would like to take a moment to address some frequently asked questions.

1) Why is there so much fundraising if there is a donation scheme? Surely that covers it?

Sadly, this is not the case. The current funding we receive is insufficient to cover the essential aspects of the curriculum, let alone the 'nice to haves.' The school donation scheme merely replaces the old parent donations, but it also means we cannot ask for donations anymore. Consequently, we must fund anything required within the curriculum and necessary for learning. Each year, the Board and staff strive to be as frugal as possible, yet we still set a deficit budget. Teacher aides, office staff, and relievers are all paid from the same budget that covers electricity and toilet paper. This is known as operational funding.

The reality is that many teachers are paying out of their own pockets for classroom items.

2) How does staffing factor into this?

Many years ago, the Board committed to keeping classes at Kaurihohore as small as possible. For Year 4 - 6 classes, the ministry's funding ratio is 1-29. We believe this is far too high, so we aim to keep these classes to a maximum of 24 students. This is only possible through funding committed within our operational budget. If we relied solely on government funding for staffing, we would need to have at least one fewer class. Leslee also maintains a three-day teaching component instead of being a fully released principal. This arrangement frees up staffing, enabling us to keep our classes as small as possible.

Like all schools, we have a range of diverse needs. Many of our children require an adult, typically a teacher aide, to help them succeed both in and out of the classroom. This arrangement benefits all students by ensuring a calm and settled learning environment. Teacher aides are largely not funded by the Ministry of Education.

Most children do not generate funding for a teacher aide. Funding is challenging to secure, and children must pose a physical threat to themselves or others over a period of time to receive support. To add to the complexity of this, it takes at least a term to have a child accepted onto the caseload of a MOE worker, before we can even make an application for funding.

When funding is granted, it is limited to two hours per day, more likely one hour, for a maximum of two terms. However, this support diminishes quickly as children adjust with the extra adult supervision and regulation. Once our efforts begin to help children regulate, the funding is withdrawn, yet we must retain the adult support as it is crucial for the child's success.

We have committed to creating a school environment where every child can succeed, to do that, we must have adults in place to do this work, because there is no guarantee of funding, we have to make this work in any way that we can.  While we acknowledge we will never get this 100% right, we are committed to doing our best for everyone.

The Ministry of Education does not fund learning needs, so any additional learning support must be funded by us.

3) What about property improvements? Doesn't the Ministry fund those?

To some extent, the Ministry does fund property on a five-year cycle. However, our school is very old, and much of the necessary work is simply maintenance, leaving little for facility improvements.

The Ministry does not fund outdoor areas, only buildings. Any work we wish to do on playgrounds, outdoor learning areas, turfs, courts, etc., must be funded by us.

Room 10 is a building owned by the Board, so all maintenance of this building must be funded through our operational budget.

We rely heavily on the goodwill of our community, we can not afford a caretaker and our contractor only has five hours in his week to keep on top of our buildings and grounds.  We appreciate any extra help around the place, such as planting gardens, tidying up and just generally keep our place looking as good as it can possibly look.

4) How is this additional funding need covered?

Simply put, we cover it through active fundraising. We do not have a specific fundraising group and instead ask parents to participate in initiatives they are interested in.

Each year, we need to raise $30,000 - $40,000. The amount we need to raise will vary from year to year, as operational funding depends on our enrolment numbers.

5) How else are funds raised?

The school regularly applies for grants to cover items like mathematics equipment, which we would not be able to afford otherwise. Each year, we apply for at least $10,000 - $30,000 worth of grants, sometimes much more. We are very fortunate to have Bronwyn Bayne, who applies for grants on our behalf. Her efforts are greatly appreciated!

We fully understand that supporting fundraisers can be challenging. We recognise that everyone is in a different financial situation, especially given the current climate.

We strive to ensure we are only raising funds for what is specifically needed. However, it is important to note that donating time is just as valuable as donating money. Therefore, we encourage you to consider joining the organisation and running of fundraisers if you are able to do so.

6) Other alternatives for fundraising?

We are always keen to talk to businesses or ex students who may be in a position to support our school via sponsorship.  You are very welcome to come and talk to Leslee or the school office about this.

Kaurihohore School is a great place to be, it is full of a wonderful wairua, thanks to the adults and children who are part of our school currently, those who have gone before us and those who will come after us.   We may not have all the fancy bells and whistles, but what we do have is something very special.