Report explains WOSS fundraising totalsBy Dominik KurekOAKVILLE BEAVER STAFFOnly small portion of student-generated funds is school revenueThe HaWhite Oaks is the largest school in the field trips to places beyond North America$175,000 in net. lton District School Board revealed board with two campuses and about 2,000 where the funds go directly to a tourism com-This money helps offset fund losing itemsthat a small portion of the $1.5 million raised at White Oaks Secondarystudents. The next highest fund-generating pany.such as athletics, which fell short by $70,000; School by students school was Burlingtons Robert Batemen Furthermore, the school has an IBfield trips, short by nearly $36,000; capital,is school revenue.The report was a response to a recent storyHigh School with an (International Bacshort by $48,000 and curricular, short by enrollment of nearlycalaureate) program,$28,000.in theToronto Star about the school raising I got a lot of people1,300 students and col-which has an annualThe report also showed these figures forthe most money in student fees around the contacting me with GTA in the school year of 2008/09. The schoollecting $863,464. Thestudent fee of $1,200the following school year of 2009/10, where concerns that the schoolwas one of six to reach the $1 million marknext highest OakvilleEuale said, becausethe school collected $1.65 million, but had a public high school wasthe school is so large, itnet revenue of $34,991. that year,The Star revealed through informa-could fundraise that kind of Oakville Trafalgar Highhas enough interestEuale said the board works to ensure onetion it received through a Freedom of money. They wanted to School, raising $840,320from students to go onschool does not have a better level of educa-Information request.know how it is being used.Howeverwith an enrollment of abroad excursions everytion from another., trustees learned at the Well, there's a realWednesdaynearly 1,300.year that students canIts not our wish to create inequities in, April 6 board meeting, that of the $1.5 million only $65,000 is school revenue.Speaking to thepay as much as $3,500education, he said. That would not be the difference between what Much of the remainder of that moneyBeaver, director of edu-each, whereas at a small-wish of the board, nor the wish of even the is flow-fundraising is and school-cation David Euale saider school, these tripsprincipals. We do whatever we can to providethrough dollars, such as fees for field trips, generated funds are.which are paid by the student to the schoolpart of the reason whymay happen only everyequity in all our schools so that whether andthe school generates socouple of years.youre going to White Oaks or Batemen or by the school to the tourism company.Halton District School Board much revenue in stu-A lot of those dollarsCentral or Pearson, or Acton, that the qualityI got a lot of people contacting me with vice-chair Kelly Amosconcedent fees is its size.are just flow-throughof the program it cant be perfectly equalrns that the school could fundraise that kind of moneyIts our largest sec-dollars. Students bring but we could not think of one school hav-. They wanted to know how it is being usedondary school. Its fourin their money for theing a higher quality of program and another. Well, theres a real difference between what or five times larger thanfield trip, theyre col-school being disadvantaged.fundraising is and school-gen-erated funds are, said board vice-chair andsome of our smaller schools like Pearson and lected and the bills are paid and theres noAdditionally, in September of 2010, the revenue generation from that kind of thing.board passed a motion that schools would nothe trustee for the school KellyCentral. Volume is a major factor for White Amos.She saidOaks, he said.The report shows the largest portion of thelonger charge students with course fees. This making the net value available makes the report muchSome of the other reasons why the school funds come through food (which comes frommotion was passed before the Ministry of more useful.generates this kind of money are because of its cafeteria) and what the board calls generalEducation mandated it from all school boardsThat paints a totally different picture on programs such as the foods and hospitality fundraising at $583,000. These programs alsoin the province.the story than what the gross value is, she where students have to pay for materials, and have a cost of $408,000, leaving aboutTo read the full report, visit www.hdsb.ca.said.www.insideHALTON.com OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, April 8, 2011 10