Voluntary Development Fund

Why do we have a Development Fund Levy?  As with many schools the lion’s share of the income we receive is school fee income.  A budget is produced and this income is allocated to a multitude of expenses.  Many of these expenses deal with the day-to-day running of the school – salaries, electricity, water, paper, internet access to name but a few.  Sometimes the growth and development of the school is restricted by the fact that the day-to-day running of the school absorbs so much of our income.  To this end the school introduced a Development Fund levy many years ago that was jealously protected from being absorbed into the day-to-day running costs and allocated to specific development projects over the years.

Many years ago the SGB of the time made a decision that they were going to limit large scale fundraising projects and events, as these events often put additional financial burden on parents/legal guardians who are already stretched financially.  In place of large scale fundraising events, the SGB created the Development Levy.  Currently our Development Fund levy is R1 000 per annum, which effectively amounted to R100 per month for 10 months per family.  This Development Fund levy is voluntary (VDF).  Over the years this VDF levy has financed many projects that directly benefitted the learners of the school.  Resurfacing of tennis courts, additional cricket nets, the purchase of computers for the computer room, the development of the school library and many other projects have been provided by the VDF.

Sadly though fewer parents/legal guardians are choosing to pay the VDF levy nowadays and this, we do realise, is a sign of the difficult times the school community finds itself in.  To this end the SGB has decided to introduce different “development bundles” (a bit like data bundles) which should better allow parents/legal guardians across the economic spectrum to contribute to the ongoing development of the school based on affordability.  Most parents/legal guardians would love to make a positive contribution to the school but feel that R1000 is a bridge to far.  We are, therefore, offering parents/legal guardians the opportunity to contribute towards the Voluntary Development Fund from a little as R50 per annum.  The bundles are R50, R100, R250, R500, R750 and R1000 per annum.  We are hoping that this will spread the burden of development across a greater number of parents/legal guardians but in a way that is affordable to each specific household.

We would like to encourage you to really make every effort to make this voluntary payment.  Even our families who receive part or full exemption from paying fees could contribute to the fund.  If you didn’t know about our VDF, or had forgotten about it, please consider making this donation to the school.  Besides the obvious benefit to your children, the contribution is also tax deductible and the school can issue you with a Section 18A certificate on request.