Circular 2016/10

Date 7 SeptemberSeptmeber 2016 | Circular 2016/10 | Category Funding

State Funding for 2017

This Circular is about Operational Funding Grant and Staffing Entitlement for 2017.

The action needed is Use the information provided in this circular for planning for 2017.

It is intended for  Chairpersons of boards of trustees and principals in all state and state integrated schools.

For more information 

• Surplus-staffing .
• Education circulars for copies of school circulars.

Contact Centre, Resourcing Division, Ministry of Education

PO Box 1666, Phone 04 463 8383, Fax 04 463 8374

Email resourcing@education.govt.nz

Introduction

This circular provides boards with information about their Operational Funding Grant and Staffing Entitlement for 2017.

Enclosed with this circular is:

• a Operational Funding Entitlement Notice for 2017
• a Provisional Staffing Entitlement Notice for 2017.

Staffing and funding calculators     

Funding and staffing calculators are available at www.fundingcalc.minedu.govt.nzwww.fundingcalc.minedu.govt.nz and allow schools to model different roll scenarios and save results to a spreadsheet. The results can also be calculated as GST inclusive and/or exclusive amounts.

2017 Operational Funding 

Targeted At-Risk Funding

In 2017, a funding increase in the operational grant will be targeted to schools depending on the estimated number of students at risk of educational underachievement. Schools will be able to use this funding, alongside other funding, to raise achievement for these students.

The funding will be targeted to schools depending on the estimated number of students aged 5 to 18, whose parents have been on benefits for 75 percent of the first five years of the student’s life, or 75 percent of the past five years. As a group, these students are most at risk of educational underachievement.

This funding will appear in your provisional funding notice as a new component—Targeted At-Risk Funding. Unlike other components of the operational grant, Targeted At-Risk Funding entitlements for 2017 will not be recalculated in 2017.

Electronic notices

Provisional staffing and operational funding notices are now available electronically through the Ministry’s online portal. Instructions on how to log into the Ministry’s online portal are available at School roll return guidelines under ‘Portal Instructions’.

Provisional roll reviews

Boards may apply for a review of their provisional roll if they consider that there are factors the Ministry has not taken into account.

Boards will be required to demonstrate that the Ministry's estimate of the provisional resourcing roll is at least 5% at variance with that of the board’s. Clear evidence supporting this variance will need to be provided before the Ministry will consider approving a change. A list of projected enrolments alone will not be sufficient.

The 2017 Provisional Staffing Roll Review form is available on the Provisional roll review page.

Please submit applications by 21 October 2016 .

Surplus Staffing

Before applying for surplus staffing support, check whether you need to reduce permanent teaching positions. For advice, please contact the New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA). They will help:

• decide whether to reduce the number of teachers 
• run the process to identify which positions to disestablish 
• ensure that you have met all your obligations as an employer.

The Ministry contracts NZSTA to provide industrial advice to all boards of trustees.

The Ministry will fund surplus staffing costs under certain conditions . For more information on the process or to find a Surplus Staffing Report form, please visit our website Surplus staffing support for disestablishing staff .

Submitting an application