We are pleased to have completed 2024 with a surplus again. We were careful with money this year as we were uncertain of the grants we might receive over and above the Operations Grant. As it transpired we received further income to cover the outgoings and have finished the year in a very satisfactory position.
Although there is frustration and disappointment with the decision to halt the planned new build on our site, we acknowledge the fiscal prudence of this decision and are grateful that the renovation we are currently living inside of, is fully MOE funded and that every time a new difficulty is discovered, it is not something we have to pay for or handle the finances of. Compared with past large property projects, this has also enabled us to be in a better financial position.
The amalgamation of the 5YA Projects with the Leaky Building Project, whilst it has its frustrations, is also a real blessing as means not only will our money achieve more, but we get it over with in "one hit".
We are not yet half way through this programme of work. We are really looking forward to getting our Hall back for 2025.
With the cessation of the New Build Programme a huge workload has been lifted from us, though there is frustration fo we allow ourselves to look back at the hundreds of hours that had already been invested over what amounts to a whole decade. If there is another disappointment, it is that with new bright shiney homes going up all around us, we will not get a new bright shimey school to match. You only have to look at Wesley Primary School (virtually the last one to get over the line), to see what this might have looked like.
We must all be grateful to Garth for his attention to detail and for managing the "on the groung aspect" of so many important property issues and ensuring that our children and school get as much as possible of what they deserve.
Finance Reports to the Board have been informative and timely.
Monica has been an enormous help in getting and keeping us up to date. We are now, finally, up to date with all our Annual Audits! What a saga that was!
At Monica's recommendation we hire Yulieth Ospina, early in the year, to sort out our Asset Register. Yulieth worked for us for 8 weeks, got the job done and now works for Manaiakalani full time. Well done Yulieth and Monica!
We will need to be careful with money again as we plan for next year. At this stage it appears we have reduced income and so it will pay us not to be bold with spending and see whether we attract further funding in the new year.
Pt England School acknowledges and thanks the Manaiakalani Education Trust for financial and resourcing support in the following ways:
supplying $90K to Pt England School for D.P. support to make the principal's involvement in Manaiakalani possible
supplying 1.0 P.A. Support
supplying the Manaiakalani Digital Fluency Intensive
Supplying the Manaiakalani Innovative Teacher Programme
Supplying the Manaiakalani Reading Intensive Programme
Supplying the Manaiakalani Mathematics Intensive Programme
providing free Manaiakalani PLD
holding the equity and liability for Student ChromeBook leases
building, supplying and maintaining the Tamaki Learning Network
supplying and facilitation the Manaiakalani Film Festival
supporting and enabling the Cook Islands Teacher Summit
Supplying and facilitating the Manaiakalani Wānanga
During 2024 we received $30,000 This was used to pay a local Support Staff Member as an Attendance Office to work with children and families to get them back into regular attendance at school. This was a real success and our Every Day Counts stats show a steady but slow improvement.
In July this year we received our 2024 instalment of this funding, $6,000. The 2023 funding was carried over to add to the 2024 amount, and was used it with Board approval to fund the Principal and Deputy Principal to the ISTE Conference in Denver Colorado in June 2024 and to support the Principal to the Manaiakalani Cook Islands Teacher Summit in October. Both if these events were hugely valuable and have been referred to in other parts of this report.
During 2024 Pt England School received $7,923.00 in funding for KiwiSport
This funding was paid to Manaiakalani Education Trust as part of the Tamaki Cluster Contribution to enhance enhance our Students' opportunity to participate and be taught in a variety of sports codes deliverd this year by Kelly Sports.
Other funding was used to help pay for swimming sessions, sports uniforms, coaching training, sports equipment and sports registrations.
The total number of students involved was 535