‘The bill landed like a hand grenade’: Principals face tough choices to avoid schools going into deficits

The gas bill, says primary school principal Máire Marnell, landed like a hand grenade.

“I almost had a heart attack – it was €10,000,” says Marnell. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, we just can’t afford it. This is going to be really, really bad’.”

Marnell got straight into her car and went down to her local AIB, where she pleaded for the gas bill payment to be stopped from leaving the school bank account.

Otherwise, she worried that the school – Scoil Mhuire in Ballyboden, Dublin 16 – would go into the red and school staff would go unpaid.

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She later agreed an eight-month payment plan with utility provider Bord Gáis to ensure the school did not go into the red.

[ Most primary schools running deficits amid rising costs, survey finds ]

“That’s just the gas bill,” Marnell says. “We’ve electricity bills, insurance bills and we’re splitting them up because we don’t want to hit rock bottom. We need to pay people’s wages – taxi escorts [for special needs pupils], cleaners, everyone. They are my priority.”

Marnell’s experience is not uncommon. In fact, most primary schools say they have run deficits over the past year and have to rely on cash reserves to cover basic running costs, according to a new survey.

The poll of 1,440 schools was carried out last month by the Catholic Primary School Management Association (CPSMA), which supports about 85 per cent of all primary schools across the State.

It found more than 70 per cent of schools have run at a deficit over the past 12 months due to rising costs and a shortfall in grant funding to cover expenses such as light, heat and transport.

Schools say they are being forced to take a range of cost-saving measures, including reducing expenditure on school tours, delaying fire safety checks and dropping school alarm monitoring subscriptions.

In theory, schools get enough funding from the State to get by. It comes in the form of two per-capita grants, with the level of funding dependent on pupil enrolment.

The capitation grant is supposed to cater for day-to-day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general up-keep, while the ancillary grant is to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff.

In reality, many schools have for years relied on fundraisers and parents’ voluntary contributions to bridge the funding gap.

According to the Department of Education, it has secured the highest ever funding package for primary and post-primary schools this year.

This includes increased capitation rates for schools in recognition of the rising costs of heating and lighting over recent years.

There are kids here who can’t afford the basics. Schools shouldn’t have to struggle like this

Schools, however, say the cost increases go beyond utilities and argue everything from transport to cleaning to general upkeep has also jumped.

Meanwhile, seeking parents’ voluntary contributions to help with school finances is not an option for all schools.

Scoil Mhuire in Ballyboden – categorised as disadvantaged – does not seek voluntary contributions from parents to make up the shortfalls. School staff organise fundraisers and seek sponsorship just to cover the basics.

“People here give what they can and are incredibly generous, but you can’t ask for big money, so we do our best to balance things out,” says Marnell. “We don’t have fancy equipment or sensory rooms ... we hold off on things like cutting hedges. Our caretaker, for example, went out and bought a second-hand ride-on lawnmower on DoneDeal for €850, to save the cost of hiring outside people to cut the grass for €500.”

Running the school has been an eye opener into the precarious state of school finances for Marnell, who took over as principal two years ago.

While increased Department of Education funding for rising costs such as heat and light is welcome, she says, increases in other costs are not accounted for.

“I don’t want to sound like a complete moan – I love the role, I love the job. I skip in here each day. We have an amazing school, 50 years old almost, right in the heart of the local community. We’re right in the centre of things. We welcome everyone: we have three autism classes, we’ve international protection children, Travellers, an influx of Indian children. We love them all,” she says.

“It’s not a level playing field when it comes to finance. Other schools can get voluntary contributions and afford equipment ... there are kids here who can’t afford the basics. Schools shouldn’t have to struggle like this.”

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