Less students means 'lots of cuts'

Funding for Woy Woy Public School has been "reduced considerably" with 34 less student enrolments at the school this year, according to principal Ms Ona Buckley.

"This means cuts in a lot of areas," she said.

The fall in student numbers to 466 would result in a reduction to four library days, front office staff allocation, the moving of teachers and a decrease in the time of general assistance.

"Our overall numbers including the four disabilities classes and the preschool are significantly down on 2010," said Ms Buckley.

"This is not as good a result as we had hoped," she said.

Ms Buckley said she hoped numbers would increase with a few enrolments still to come in.

"We cannot put a student in as a number even though we know they are coming to our school until their bottom is actually sitting on one of our classroom seats," she said.

Ms Buckley said that, despite the cuts, the school would continue to provide a high quality learning environment.

"As always, we will endeavour to deliver the very best educational, cultural, extensional and extra-curricular programs as we have previously done.

"It's a great and caring school," said Ms Buckley.

Newsletter, 21 Feb 2011 Ona Buckley, Woy Woy Public School