Public schools in the Wellington district will share in more than $400,000 in extra funding next year after the NSW government announced a record $219 million investment in additional education funding, according to the Gonski needs-based funding formula.
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The extra money for four schools ranges in more than $329,000 for Wellington Public to $8631 at Euchareena Public, according to the NSW Department of Education’s 2017 resource allocation model.
The sum is part of an additional $4.8 million in needs-based funding that will flow into the Dubbo electorate.
The extra money paves the way for resources to be secured for students in need.
Wellington Public is set to gain a total of more than $1.1 million next year, an increase on its 2016 allocation of more than $329,000.
Principal Denis Anderson listed numerous actions and programs the school had been able to put in place because of the needs-based funding already received.
Extra school learning support officers in classrooms to help children with their learning were a reality because of the funding, he said.
The Gonski funding had also enabled the school to buy some para-professional time, he said.
“We have a speech therapist because a lot of our children come with language deficits and the inability to speak properly,” he said.
The budget meant the therapist only came once every two weeks, but the school had a system operating where she worked in classrooms and transferred the knowledge to the learning support officers and to the teachers, he said.
“And also at that time she can work individually with a few children who have the more serious and complex problems.
“We have an occupational therapist employed also, so she works in conjunction with the speech therapist in the needs, particularly for the younger children.”
Wellington High is set to receive more than $1.1 million, up more than $109,000 on 2016, according to the resource allocation model.
Stuart Town will gain an extra $13,145 to take its total needs-based funding to $35,254 in 2017 and Euchareena’s boost takes its 2017 total to $29,464.
Dubbo MP Troy Grant said the extra resources went directly to schools to allow principals to better meet the unique needs of their students and community.