How do effective schools manage their finances?

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This report details the findings of the first year of a three-year study into the financial management practices of 18 effective New Zealand schools.

The research gives insights into funding decisions, and the factors that influence those decisions, and the use of government operational funding and locally raised funds to meet their students' needs.

Finding out what is needed to accomplish this provides valuable pointers to the adequacy of school funding. Importantly, the findings showed that while the schools all had robust systems of budget development and monitoring, they ran on thin margins and therefore took a conservative approach to financial management and programme changes.

Other issues covered include the effect of rolls on budgeting, the pressures of cost increases, teacher resourcing, and the necessity generate income other than the government grant.

The research, fully funded by the NZ School Trustees' Association, sourced data from nine primary and nine secondary schools covering a range of location, roll size, and socio-economic decile.

This report details the findings of the first year of a three-year study into the financial management practices of 18 effective New Zealand schools.

The research gives insights into funding decisions, and the factors that influence those decisions, and the use of government operational funding and locally raised funds to meet their students' needs.

Finding out what is needed to accomplish this provides valuable pointers to the adequacy of school funding. Importantly, the findings showed that while the schools all had robust systems of budget development and monitoring, they ran on thin margins and therefore took a conservative approach to financial management and programme changes.

Other issues covered include the effect of rolls on budgeting, the pressures of cost increases, teacher resourcing, and the necessity generate income other than the government grant.

The research, fully funded by the NZ School Trustees' Association, sourced data from nine primary and nine secondary schools covering a range of location, roll size, and socio-economic decile.

This report details the findings of the first year of a three-year study into the financial management practices of 18 effective New Zealand schools.

The research gives insights into funding decisions, and the factors that influence those decisions, and the use of government operational funding and locally raised funds to meet their students' needs.

Finding out what is needed to accomplish this provides valuable pointers to the adequacy of school funding. Importantly, the findings showed that while the schools all had robust systems of budget development and monitoring, they ran on thin margins and therefore took a conservative approach to financial management and programme changes.

Other issues covered include the effect of rolls on budgeting, the pressures of cost increases, teacher resourcing, and the necessity generate income other than the government grant.

The research, fully funded by the NZ School Trustees' Association, sourced data from nine primary and nine secondary schools covering a range of location, roll size, and socio-economic decile.

Read the media release from NZSTA

Read about the second report, An increasing tightness