Dunedin diocese has kept the increase in attendance dues per student at Catholic schools next year to $10 per annum for both primary and secondary schools.
According to The Tablet, 2015 attendance dues for primary students (year 1 to 8) will be $420 per annum, while for secondary students (years 9 to 13) it is $830 per annum.
Dunedin diocese needs just over $2 million in attendance dues income each year to meet mortgage payments on its 28 schools, insurance costs, administration and urgent minor capital works costs.
The insurance costs for the diocese’s school buildings shot up last year from $135,000 to $400,000.
Bishop Colin Campbell expressed his gratefulness for the support and sacrifice shown by parents.
To avoid increasing costs, and subsequent increases in dues, capital works programmes at Dunedin diocese schools have been kept to a bare minimum, despite work that needs to be done to keep schools up to date.
It is Dunedin diocese policy that no child from a Catholic family is to be denied access to Catholic education because of the inability of parents to pay attendance dues.
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