Schools across the Illawarra will share in a multimillion-dollar injection of additional funding next year, as part of a state government cash splash centered around the Gonksi needs-based formula.
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The funding boost, which comes on the back of the government signing the Gonski agreement, will see some schools gain hundreds of thousands of extra dollars.
The funding is distributed under the Resource Allocation Model (RAM), which uses information about student need to deliver resources.
Warrawong High School topped the list of total preliminary 2017 RAM funding across the Illawarra’s four state electorates with $1.8 million – a dollar figure that includes existing RAM cash from 2016 and any additional money provided under the Gonski agreement.
Despite ranking highly overall, Warrawong High’s 2017 allocation is only an increase of $35,000 on this year’s figure.
The variance in funding is based on changes to a school’s student need and/or enrolments.
Warilla High School recorded the biggest 2016 to 2017 allocation increase ($445,481), followed by Keira High School ($420,756) and Oak Flats High School ($378,737).
At the other end of the scale, the smallest 2016 to 2017 RAM funding increases went to Falls Creek ($1230), the Illawarra Hospital School ($7874) and Wollongong Public School ($8898).
Parliamentary secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward – a “proud product of public education” – said the government being part of the Gonski agreement had “put students first”.
Schools in the Kiama MP’s electorate will share in $2.3m worth of additional needs-based funding in 2017.
“These extra resources ... go directly to our schools across the Kiama electorate, allowing principals to better meet the unique needs of their students and the school community,” Mr Ward said.
“I have seen schools in the Kiama electorate employ additional teachers with expertise to assist students who need extra support in key learning areas like literacy and numeracy.”
The combined total of additional 2017 funding for the region’s four electorates was $10.3 million.
Shellharbour received the biggest sum ($3.6m), followed by Keira ($2.5m), Kiama and Wollongong ($1.9m).
HOW MUCH DID YOUR SCHOOL GET?
* 2017 preliminary RAM total funding represents the total 2017 funding for equity and base components (seven components).
** Variance to 2016 needs-based allocation represents the change in total 2017 RAM funding compared to the equivalent 2016 total needs-based allocations.
Note: 2017 preliminary RAM total funding includes existing RAM and other program funding allocated to schools in 2016, as well as additional funding provided as part of the Gonski/NERA agreement.