KEY POINTS:
The amount of money schools are raising from their communities rose by $56 million last year - going up almost $15 million in the Auckland region.
New Ministry of Education figures, released to the Weekend Herald this week, show revenue from locally raised funds grew to $564 million nationally last year from $508 million a year earlier.
For the Auckland region, the figure was $205 million last year - made up of contributions from the likes of parents, community trusts and fees from international students.
The 11 per cent hike nationally comes as North Shore high school principals continue to lobby for Government operations funding to rise to meet increased costs.
Northcote College principal Vicki Barrie, a member of the North Shore group, said the numbers were evidence of a growing over-reliance on locally raised funds.
"Schools are operating but we are holding it together with the goodwill of the community."
Ms Barrie said principals were frustrated by delays and the ministry's reliance on reports when schools had been crying out for years.
"In schools, we don't have the luxury of being able to contemplate what the best next move is or to seek further information because we are faced with the reality of students not being able to get the resources that they need."
The data showed total Government spending on schools also grew last year, rising to $4 billion from $3.9 billion a year earlier.
Education Minister Chris Carter said schools were "choosing" to raise the money, while spending for education overall had almost doubled from $5.7 billion to $9.8 billion since 1999.
"If the taxpayers of New Zealand agreed and we doubled the amount of money, as we have already done once, for education, schools would still ask for donations. No school is suggesting they are going to stop asking for donations - it's always been part of our school system."
In this year's Budget, schools got a 5 per cent - or $171.6 million - increase over the four years for operations funding, including $65.3 million to help meet new technology costs.
The figures showed schools' take from international students rose by $7 million last year to $98.6 million nationally. The 2007 figures used audited finances from 94 per cent of schools, with 2006 data used for the other six per cent.
School Trustees Association said parents used to fundraise for "nice-to-haves" for schools but that money was now going on day-to-day costs.
LOCAL FUNDS 2007 $564 million*
2006 - $508 million
2005 - $497 million
2004 - $510 million
2003 - $477 million
* 2007 figure is an estimate based on audited finances from 94 per cent of schools, with the balance using 2006 data
