The funding is called 5YA - five-year agreement - and is used in agreement with the Ministry of Education. Photo: RNZ/ Nick Monro
Secondary school principals are unhappy the amount of money schools get to upgrade or replace their buildings has not changed in 15 years.
They say $30 per square metre, plus a further $10 for older buildings, does not go far - and it was high time they got a boost.
The funding is called 5YA - five-year agreement - and is used in agreement with the Ministry of Education.
Darfield High School principal Andy England raised the issue with the Ministry of Education and Secondary Principals Association recently after he noticed his school's allocation had barely changed in the past decade.
He told RNZ that he was surprised to find the current rate was introduced in 2010, and had not changed since.
"We all know what's happened to construction costs, building sector costs, inflation generally over the last 15 years, so for the base square metre area to have not risen in 15 years, I actually don't think we're being equipped to look after the Crown's assets."
England said his school received $1.59m in its 5YA, but by his rough calculations it should probably be nearly half-a-million dollars more than that in order to keep pace with inflation.
The ministry could provide further supplementary funding for upgrades, but England said that made big jobs dependent on the ministry's judgement and raised the risk that some schools would not be treated fairly.
He said his school had a looming project involving a switch from septic tanks to mains sewerage that could use its entire 5YA allocation unless it received supplementary funding.
"If the ministry owns this land and the purpose of this land is for education, then it should be funded to an acceptable standard," he said.
Secondary Principals Association president Vaughan Couillault said it raised the issue with the ministry last week. He said schools were good at making ends meet, but the 5YA funding rate seemed to be way behind where it should be.
"We know that over the last five or 10 years the cost to do anything has significantly increased, and so I think the market prices are significantly ahead of the funding model that's applied to 5YA stuff.".
Couillault said principals were increasingly worried about the adequacy of the funding their schools received to maintain and upgrade property.
Secondary Principals Association president Vaughan Couillault. Photo: RNZ
"There is increasing levels of disquiet with regard to the funding that you get being satisfactory to meet all of the needs that your building condition assessment might raise."
He said at the extreme end they had to ensure there were no health and safety risks, but they also wanted to provide good places to learn.
Last year's review of school property said the government set aside about $750m a year for depreciation of school buildings - money to be used to upgrade and replace property as it wore out over time. It said schools received less than half of that money directly, and the overall total was too low.
The ministry said it would review the funding rate this year to ensure it had the right balance between direct school funding and supplementary funding. It said its supplementary property funding allowed it to target funding to the schools that needed it most.
The ministry said it had other programmes to help schools with property condition and growth, including a scheme upgrading buildings in 763 small or remote schools.
"The programme delivers upgraded lighting with LEDs, enhanced acoustic performance using acoustic panelling, enhanced electrical safety via residual current devices at power outlets, insulation and carpet," it said.
In 2024/25 the allocation for 5YA was $135m and the supplementary allocation was $210m.
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