Voluntary contributions

[Phteven]

Following on from the other thread I started about voluntary contributions.....

Do you pay yours? Why or why not?
Do you think they are reasonable or are they set too high or too low?

Apparently only about 25%-30% of parents pay them (depending on what source you read) regardless of how affluent the area the school is in.

[nothing2lose]

I remember a thread about this at the end of last year Onyx....

I always pay ours because I can afford it and primary schools are woefully underfunded.

I believe all parents should pay them if they are able. I do not believe that schools should bully parents into paying though, or deceive parents into thinking the payments are compulsory (Ive seen both things happen).

[Astrid]

No voluntary fees here. I would pay them though if they had them, I would need the option though of paying when I could, so preferably not at the same time as the book list fee. I would much prefer to have a fee, rather than be hit with a lot of fundraising.

[nothing2lose]

We get slugged with loads of fundraising too

[Phteven]

We have voluntary contributions and fundraising. TBH I think that to a large extend the fundraising catches the shortfall in voluntary contributions.
I pay the voluntary contribution and help out with fundraising when it's not too onerous but it does make me kind of bitter that so many parents at our school seem to think that other parents should be subsidizing their children. I get that not everyone can afford voluntary contributions but I suspect that at our school there are only a few families that are genuinely unable to pay.

[nothing2lose]

i don't blame you Onyx.

[lilima]

We pay, and most at our school do. Where we used to live no one ever paid.
My parents never paid. I went to an exclusive private school, who expected you to contribute on top of the already huge fees. They just said no way!

[BellyBelly]

All schools I have had my kids in, both private and public, they just have it listed in the bills/account and I have just paid it. Its itemised with everything else and not separate.

[onthefly]

mine was included in the book list

[~ Mylitta ~]

One of my stepsons is at a public school which include their voluntary contributions on their book list. My other stepson is at a private school (a specialised school for his needs) so his education already costs the world, lol. We stopped paying the voluntary fees a few years back when they were both at the same public school. The school was abysmal when it came to helping us with the issues surrounding DSS1. They were super quick to punish, and very slow to help. At the time we had just had a baby, were undergoing IVF treatments and expecting upcoming costs associated with another birth and baby, so finances were also pretty stretched. Even this year we have had major issues with the school in regards to DSS2. Seriously, when a child asks to speak to a counsellor, you damn well get on top of that straight away! A child must really want help if they have the guts to actually ask a teacher for it. He was having issues at school and at his mother's house and wanted to talk it over, and felt it wasn't right to talk to us about it, which is fair enough I think. The resources were available (psychologist on campus and available) and the teacher just didn't do anything about it until after DSS2 had asked three times and then DH gave her a rather stern phonecall... We've lost a lot of faith in the school and my desire to pay voluntary payments went with it. Looks like he's moving school next year...

[anney]

Ours are listed as a separate line item on the account and this year for the first time their was a lengthy explanation about how it was voluntary and how it was used whereas normally it just said voluntary school building fund contribution. We still get heaps of fundraising which I am happy to say no to if it doesn't suit me. We are at a public primary school in Victoria.
I had always assumed everyone paid it but apparently not.
I don't really feel bitter about other people not paying but am a bit peeved that my dd's year has a take home net book program so you pay $300 year for 3 years for child to use NetBook in class and take home. A lot of parents did not agree to it so rather than abandoning it altogether school bought some netbooks for those children who did not join the program to use at school. So I feel peeved that the school is forced to spend money this way which could have been spent on other things. Some parents couldn't genuinely pay but others either didn't want to or didn't agree it was the right technology ( felt iPads more appropriate). I know some of these people are sending their kids to private school so should be able to find$300 a year.

[Trillian]

I always pay ours - $70 max for a family per year. It would be pretty lousy not to pay at that rate!

[nothing2lose]

Wow!!

That's so cheap Trill!!! Mine for one DD was over $300.

[nothing2lose]

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...ight=voluntary

this might help....

[Astrid]

Mine for one DD was over $300.

Wow from me I will try not to complain about fundraising again, it is nothing compared to that amount!

[Amity]

I pay every year. Over $1K for two kids.

Every parent is expected to pay at my local primary school.

But it shows - we have the following teachers:
a) gifted and talented teacher full time
b) sport teacher full time
c) music teacher full time
d) counsellor three days a week
e) LOTE teacher full time
f) art teacher full time
g) librarian full time
h) non-teaching staff (principal, vice, four admin) always available
I) special Ed teacher three days a week.

We have these extra teachers because the school can afford it. They chase you up if you haven't paid by the end of February. There's no discount for extra children - it's the same per kid.

I don't mind paying because I know what the funding is used for. It's all transparent and printed out for parents each year. We also see where our fees go in terms of equipment etc.

[nothing2lose]

Fundraising we have includes -

- entertainment books
- chocolate drive
- walkathon
- sausage sizzles
- Easter raffle
- Other raffle
- four free dress days
- two crazy hair days
- Footy day with pie lunch
- Soup lunch
- mothers day stall
- fathers day stall
- car boot sale
- mini fete
- school concert every second year

All of this stuff each and every year.

[little_O]

I agree that not all families can afford the contributions, which is why they are voluntary. However, I grew up in a smaller community and my parents (whilst not well off at the time, and by no means "school board" types) always contributed towards the school. That being said my mum would volunteer as she could for school events and supported us throughout our education. To me the school is only as strong as the community. If we don't support where our children go, we can't blame the system when our child is not supported.

My in laws only ever pay what they have to as far as school fees, they don't see why they should pay the extra... Then complain when their son doesn't get the help in class or his own text book... To me they make their own rod. They can afford it but choose not to. In turn the school can't afford to support their child.

But, like I mentioned before if you CANT afford it that's as different story