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April 2021
Keep up-to-date with us and what's happening in the education sector
- 2020 Annual Accounts - Next Steps
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Minimum Wage Increase - $20 per Hour
- ASB Term Deposits Rate Specials - Available until 16 April 2021
- School Housing - Health Homes Requirements
- Welcome Becky & Isabella to the AFS Team
- 0800 ASK AFS - Toll Free Number
2020 ANNUAL ACCOUNTS
We are pleased to report that the draft financial statements for all schools we assist were delivered the auditors before the 31 March deadline.
The process from here is:
- Once the audit has been completed, there may be some adjustments required, which we will action. We will endeavour to answer as many of their queries as possible, to keep the disruption at school to a minimum.
- The updated financial statements will then be sent out to the school for signing by the auditors, along with the Letter of Representation; likely early to mid-May.
- The signed accounts then need to be returned to the auditors so they can attach their audit opinion. Please do not sign the financial statements prior to the auditors sending the final versions to the Schoo.
- The auditors will then stamp and send the final audited financial statements and the audit opinion to the schools. The audited financial statements, audit opinion and analysis of variance need to be grouped into one document for uploading to the Ministry of Education data portal by 31 May 2021.
If you have any questions about the annual accounts and audit process please let us know.
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MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE
From 1 April, the adult minimum wage will increase from $18.90 to $20.00 per hour. You are required to pay at least this rate to all staff that you employ.
Schools should review their employment arrangements to ensure that all staff are on a current employment agreement.
If your staff are paid through Education Payroll, the increase will be automatically applied for all employees that were paid less than $20.00 per hour. Schools who use other payroll providers for non-teaching staff should confirm with their provider that the increase has been applied.
You may be employing staff using your operational grant funding and other sources of income, in addition to teaching staff provided through entitlement staffing. School boards are responsible for meeting these additional employment costs.
For non-teaching staff in schools including caretakers, cleaners, administration staff and teacher aides, you have already been provided additional funding to meet the increases negotiated through collective bargaining. The schooling collective agreements set the minimum rate for staff at most schools at $21.78 per hour, which exceeds the new adult minimum wage rate. To access this funding, you will need to move any employees who are paid less than $21.78 per hour to a current employment agreement.
If you are not certain which employment agreement to offer, or have other questions regarding the conditions of employment of your staff please contact NZSTA.
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ASB TERM DEPOSIT RATE SPECIALS
As you have just received your operational grant payment, ASB has some special term deposit interest rates available. These rates are only available until 16 April 2021 (inclusive). ASB's terms apply and the school will need to have a minimum of $10,000 to invest.
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SCHOOL HOUSING
From 1 July 2021, landlords must ensure their rental properties comply with the new Residential Tenancies (Healthy Homes Standards) Regulations 2019 within 90 days of any new tenancy. Boards of Trustees are responsible for ensuring all school/board owned housing is compliant.
Given our interaction with property clients through the "All Accounted For" side of our business, we have a wealth of knowledge around the healthy homes requirements and are therefore happy to answer any questions you might have. We can also recommend not for profit organisations that can assist with carrying out health home assessments for the School.
You can find out more about the requirements by following the below link:
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WELCOME TO THE TEAM BECKY & ISABELLA
Becky Levings
Meet Becky, originally from the South in Dunedin, Becky recently relocated to Wellington in order to further her career in marketing.
Becky will be our new marketing coordinator and will be managing our communication channels delivering crucial transparent and timely information to you. Becky is excited to bring her creative and business management skills to the job.
Becky says that the key to great marketing is “knowing your audience and communicating in a way that suits people’s needs".
Becky has previously worked in various sales / IT and marketing support roles including the operation of her own small business in Dunedin.
Becky’s interests include attempting to cook, travel, architecture, interior design and animals.
Isabella Louisson
Born and bred in Hawkes Bay, Isabella grew up on a sheep and beef farm and graduated from Massey University in 2019.
Isabella will be our new Business Advisory Services Accountant and will be responsible for preparing and providing you with crucial financial and accounting services while supporting your business. Isabella is most passionate to genuinely help people and help ensure we maintain high levels of client service.
Outside of work you can find Isabella in the garden enjoying a cocktail or two, at the gym or socializing with friends.
Fun Fact: Isabella has a cactus named Reginald
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0800 ASK AFS
Given the number of Schools from outside the Wellington region that have entrusted us to provide financial support, we have recently added a toll-free number. The number is 0800-ASK-AFS or 0800-275-237. For the Wellington-based Schools, we can still be contacted on 909-7729.
While we know it will only save a few dollars each year, we are all about helping to stretch those precious funding dollars as far as possible; every cent counts. We look forward to hearing from you soon on our new 0800-ASK-ASF line.
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P: 0800-ASK-AFS | 0800-275-237
P: 04-909-7729 l E: admin@afsl.nz l W: afsl.nz
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