private primary school financials

fisher8181

i have two sons in a private primary school.
This year numbers are down and the entire school only has approximately 50 pupils (junior infants up to 6th class) so i am worried about the viability of the school.
I have asked for a meeting with the management to discuss but before i go in I would like to know a little more about how this private schools operate financially.

Fees are approx €4500 per pupil so total from fees will be €225,000.
Does the state pay fees of private national school teachers?

Obviously each school is different but from the broad figures does this look like a school that could survive?

rainbowtrout

There are only a handful of private primary schools in the country. They are not state run, and the teachers in them do not get paid by the Dept. They are no different to the likes of Yeats College or Leeson St which are also private.



Fee paying schools are different. The teachers are paid by the Dept, but the school charges fees which covers extra curricular activities and also allows the school to employ extra teachers and pay them privately.


If it is a totally private primary school then they generate income from fees and use it to pay their employees (teachers). It's that simple. I doubt anyone could say here if the school is viable in the long run as they are so uncommon. How many staff have to be paid out of those fees? Principal, deputy, teachers, cleaners, caretaker etc. Also general maintenance costs, heating, electricity, school supplies. They are essentially a private business that provide educational services.

A little out of date, but this is general state of private primary education in Ireland.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/the-private-primary-can-it-survive-1.480808

evolving_doors

Going by the yearly take in wouldn't be the best either as they are supposed to have a sinking fund to tie them over for unforeseen events or planned expansion.
But if numbers keep dropping and staying low in a large building then there would be about 5-10 years left in it.

tuisginideach

There is no such thing as a private national school. As above, they are private primary schools.

rainbowtrout

tuisginideach wrote: »

There is no such thing as a private national school. As above, they are private primary schools.

It’s fairly clear what the OP meant

tuisginideach

Does the state pay fees of private national school teachers?
Well, presuming OP meant salaries, not fees, I would like to point out that there's a huge difference between 'national school' teachers and staff in a private primary school.

Cash_Q

I thought that only private secondary schools receive funding from the state in terms of do me teachers' salaries. To my knowledge there are no private primary schools supported by state funding, they are all private businesses supplying education services. Many of them are registered as charities although I'm not sure why..the two I've worked in are anyway. I think it's a tax thing but I could be totally wrong.