BOT Notice – Donations 2024
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Welcome to our 2024 school year. We hope you had a relaxing break. We're pleased to have seen a smooth start to this year with plenty of fine weather forecast.
This notice is to inform you that this year's student donation will be $625. We received feedback during our engagement sessions last year that families would like more transparency about donations and therefore have provided further details below.
Despite the funding pressures that our school continues to face, we've been able to constrain our 2024 donation increases to 5% in line with inflation. This is comparable parent investment to last year, which along with the fees received from our international student programme, largely offset the expected 2023 budget deficit and significant increases in the school's operating costs. The donation component is specifically directed to funding core learning activities.
Although inflation appears to be easing, cost pressures are expected to continue in 2024 and the inflation adjustment ensures the school retains its ability to adequately cover costs and crucially, maintain smaller class sizes.
Donation Payment Plan
While the preference is to receive donations at the beginning of the year from a financial management perspective, we recognise that this may not be achievable for all our families, particularly given the impacts of cost-of-living increases. Therefore, this year there is an option available to pay the donation in installments. To arrange this, please contact the office after you receive your donation statement. These will be sent out this week..
Why We Ask for Donations
As a learning community focused on student achievement, donations received predominantly go towards funding teaching staff to maintain our current teacher - student ratio. Maintaining optimal class sizes (in the 20s) is known to support student progress and achievement. Donations also support Learner Assistants to support those with specific learning needs; and significantly improve the classroom resources.
Donation Tax Refund Gifting
Another way to support the school financially is to gift the tax credit component of your school donation back to the school. The Board and School are extremely grateful to the large number of families who contributed last year. This year the school is facilitating gifting through Supergenerous who will process this on behalf of parents and the school. To simplify the process, you are able to arrange this directly through Kindo when paying donations. You can also register through the Supergenerous website, supergenerous.co.nz.
You'll also have the option to make an additional donation as a way of providing further support to the school and the community.
Thank You for Your Continued Support
Kohimarama is a community that actively supports our school and we've seen this demonstrated through the receipt of close to 80% of our budgeted donations in 2023. We're extremely thankful for this support. Moving forward, having the support of our community again in 2024 will be imperative to maintaining our high levels of student achievement as we face continued cost pressures.
signed
The Board of Kohimarama School
05 February 2024