Attendance Dues and Voluntary Contributions
A condition of enrolment (as signed by all parents/caregivers on enrolling your child at Our Lady Star of the Sea School) is the agreement to pay all dues as set by the Proprietor (who is the Auckland Catholic Diocese).
| School Fees | Attendance Dues | Voluntary Contributions | Per Term | Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Attendance Dues | $133.00 | $532.00 (Including GST | NOT Tax Deductible) |
| Catholic Special Character Contribution | $ 15.00 | $ 60.00 (Tax Deductible) |
| General Purpose Contribution | $116.50 | $466.00 (Tax Deductible) |
| Proprietor Contribution | $ 2.50 | $ 10.00 (Tax Deductible |
Compulsory Attendance Dues Charges
Parent and Caregiver Responsibilities
Attendance Dues are a compulsory payment under the terms of the Education and Training Act 2020 (Act) and are a condition of enrolment. Attendance Dues are charged for all students who attend Catholic integrated schools in New Zealand.
Attendance Dues are collected on behalf of the school’s Proprietor, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland. The Attendance Dues are forwarded to Auckland Common Fund Limited, a company established by the proprietors of Catholic Integrated Schools in the Diocese of Auckland responsible for the collection of Attendance Dues.
Under the Act, Attendance Dues are used for servicing and repaying loans to develop new building projects in the proprietors’ schools as well as paying for building insurance and compliance costs, collection, and administration.
At the time you enrol your child at a Catholic School, you are required to sign an agreement stating that you accept that you will pay the Attendance Dues and that you understand that payment of the Attendance Dues is a condition of enrolment and the continuing attendance of students at the school. Attendance Dues are not a donation, and they are not tax deductible.
Payment of Attendance Dues should be made in full at the beginning of the academic year or, in agreement with the school, by instalment (weekly, fortnightly, monthly or per term) during the academic year. The Attendance Dues cannot be paid in full at the end of each academic year.
Failure to pay the Attendance Dues may put your child’s place at the school at risk.
Overdue accounts may be referred to a debt collection agency by the Proprietor.
The agreement is legally enforceable and the person who signed the agreement remains legally liable for payment of the Attendance Dues. Responsibility for payment of Attendance Dues may be transferred to another Parent/Caregiver provided that the new Parent/Caregiver first signs a novation agreement accepting responsibility for payment of Attendance Dues, on terms acceptable to the school and the Proprietor.
Any civil agreements between parents/caregivers do not take precedence over the signed legal agreement.
The agreement may not be varied or terminated by the Parent/Caregiver without the prior written consent of the Proprietor.
Financial assistance with Attendance Dues is available to families of preference students in cases of genuine financial difficulties. Part of the criteria for receiving this assistance is that regular payments have been made at an affordable level.
Attendance Dues can be paid in full at the beginning of the school year, per term or by regular instalment.
More information is available from your school office on attendance dues if you require further information or need any assistance.
Special Character Contribution
Special Character Contributions collected on behalf of the Proprietor are permitted under the terms of the Education and Training Act 2020. These contributions are eligible for a taxation rebate. The Catholic Special Character contribution is a voluntary donation of $15 per term ($60.00 per annum) per student. This contribution provides the main source of funding for all services provided to Our Lady Star of the Sea, by the Catholic Education Services Board. No contributions are made by the Government for these services. The Catholic Education Services Board assists schools to provide a Catholic education for your child through the preservation and enhancement of the Catholic Special Character in our schools.
General Purpose Contribution
This voluntary General Purpose Contribution is used by the Board of Trustees to ensure the successful resourcing and running of our School through access to such things as additional teaching resources and additional technology. Last year we also included planned trips, education outside the classroom opportunities, visiting performers and other planned activities such as the end of year outings, into this cost. Previously parents have been asked to pay for these activities as they occur throughout the year and the feedback we have had is that this is challenging for families on an ongoing basis in this largely cashless society, so we are continuing the practice of including these items in the General Purpose Contribution this year.
By including these costs into our voluntary contribution amount, our administrative system can then provide one total annual receipt and thereby providing you with the ability to claim a 33% tax rebate on these activities as part of your contributions to the school. This also avoids coming up with small sums of money on a frequent basis.
Please note: There will also be the odd event, particularly in the senior school if your child is selected for an event that only a small number of children are selected for, that we may approach you to support financially.
Payment received will be applied to the compulsory category first (i.e. Attendance Dues) and deducted in the following order: Special Character, General Purpose Contribution.