2025 Schools Budget Template

We have now prepared the 2025 Budget Template for your school.  The budget template is saved as a Google Sheet in Google Drive, within the "2025 Accts / Budget" folder.  Please let us know if there are any other staff / BOT members that require access to this Sheet (view only or editing access); we can then invite them in.

2025 School Budget

As an initial place holder, we have copied across the 2024 budget to the 2025 budget column.  The majority of the budget lines will generally be similar year on year; obvious exceptions will be government grants and salary related costs. 

An example of the budget template is shown below.

We have updated the operations grant amount as per the provisional notice received (if it has been uploaded).  However, if the student numbers are expected to be higher or lower than the indicated MOE levels, please add a note to the side and we will look at adjusting the operational grant budget accordingly. 

We encourage each School to have an initial work through of the 2025 budget, updating revenue codes for any known changes, expenditure for any new initiatives and zeroing out any budget lines not required for 2025 (please do not delete existing lines from the budget).  If you need a new revenue or expense line, please insert a row and then add a note to the right noting as such (IE: "New Code for 2025").

If you are changing the 2025 budget amount significantly from 2024, please add a note to the right hand side outlining the reason behind the change.

Please include revenue and expense budgets for significant activities like Camp or EOTC week, as the auditors have asked for this.

If you no longer need a budget line, please make a note to the side and we will archive this code for you in Xero.

If you have a question about any line item, you can add a comment in the sheet and we will provide a response.

Within the budget template are sheets for calculating planned capital purchases, a calculator for working through the Teacher Entitlement and a calculator for determining the support staff costs.  Further information around using those calculators is detailed below.

Once you have completed the initial run through of the budget, please contact us to chat through any aspects that require further clarification. 

Fixed Asset Purchase Sheet

Please enter any anticipated fixed asset purchases for 2025 and a note to detail what the assets are.  We will then estimate the depreciation charge impact for 2025.

Teacher Entitlement / Utilisation Sheet

Please add the names and entitlements for all classroom teachers, leadership team and other teaching staff on this sheet to calculate your expected under/over utilisation.  We have updated the entitlement information (at the bottom of the page) as per the provisional notice if this has been uploaded (refer below example).

Once the information has been entered, the sheet will calculate the projected under/over utilisation of staffing for 2025.  Any over utilisation will need to be factored into the budget as a cost - "Board Funded Teachers".  

Teacher Aides Salaries

Please add details for all your teacher aides and other support staff into the relevant columns "Teacher", "Purpose", "Hourly Rate" and "Estimated Weekly Hours".  The other columns will automatically calculate based on existing formula (refer below example).

When entering the hourly rate please remember to factor in all annual increments. 

If you need to insert any additional rows, please ensure that the subtotals at the bottom of the calculator are still adding correctly.

The support staff costs should then be mapped through to the 2025 budget column. 

Balance Sheet & Cash Flow

AFS will update the balance sheet and cash flow budgets once the profit and loss budget has been finalised.

Budget Webinar

Below is a link to our webinar that we undertook in 2020, which while four years old, covers the various aspects associated with the budget preparation process.  If you are working through a budget for the first time, we would recommend watching the webinar.  The webinar is approximately 45 minutes long, so you can fast forward through any sections that are not relevant.

Budget Preparation Tips - Webinar

Budget Preparation Tips - Slides

AFS Budget Brochure

As noted in the September Chalkboard, we have just released a budget brochure handbook,

which is available for download in the Resources Hub section of our website!

This resource is packed with valuable insights and guidance on every aspect of the budgeting process. It highlights key financial considerations and provides a clear overview of budgeting best practice, including how to effectively allocate resources, monitor expenditure, and forecast future financial needs to ensure a balanced and sustainable budget.

AFS Resources Hub - Click here to download our Budget Brochure

Questions?

As always, we are here to help the budget process go as smoothly as possible, so if you have any questions, please contact the team on (04) 909-7729, 0800-ASK-AFS, or send us an email to admin@afsl.nz.

Kind regards,

The Accounting For Schools team 

Ground Floor, 271 Willis Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011

admin@afsl.nz   0800 ASK AFS (0800 275 237)

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