AIBU to object to school asking parents to cover trip shortfall?

[BingoBongoBusted]

So, I coughed up the required £23 for my child to go the school's "celebration day" for all year 5 and 6 children.
They have now said there is a shortfall, as not everyone had paid, and another £182.50 is required for the trip to happen, asking if any parents would like to pay more.
Pupil Premium families get half paid anyway, so those of us that have already paid in full are essentially being asked if we'd like to pay a bit more to fund the freeloaders who haven't paid.
AIBU to think this is outrageous???
I get that it's a trip in the school day,contributions have to be voluntary and unlike residentials either everyone goes or it doesn't happen, irrespective of who has/hasn't paid, but I thought charging extra to cover the non-payers wasn't allowed, which is what this very much feels like.

Don’t they have any school fund to cover such an eventuality? Having said that, if they’d charged £25 for it, you’d have stumped up without demur - they’d do better to ask all the parents for an extra £2 per child. If it’s a one form entry, it would raise £120. If it’s two form entry, it would more than cover the shortfall. Surely all the parents would be able to find a couple of quid, rather than those who’ve already stumped up the full whack having to pay again.

Yes, the "charge a couple of quid extra" idea to avoid shortfalls seems logical, but I thought this wasn't actually allowed, someone may be able to correct me...

They’re not charging extra - they’re asking for voluntary contributions.

Be generous or don’t, please yourself. Who’s got the energy to be outraged?

I remember with mine who were at public schools, the unofficial policy would have been to charge 25 up front and keep the extra 2 aside in a slush fund to make up these types of shortfalls. Schools were very open about doing this at the P&C/PTA meetings for anyone interested in knowing about this kind of stuff.

Is it not an attempt to get the parents that haven’t paid to actually pay, if they realise the trip won’t go ahead without their contributions?

I guess they’ll just cancel it, bit of a shame given that they’re pretty close to covering the cost and it’s only a few parents who aren’t contributing.

I was on my uppers when my children were at school - working split shifts but still struggling to put food on the table. My 8 year old came home with a slip asking for a certain amount for a trip to the local cathedral. I didn't have it, there is no way I could afford to pay out any more than I had already budgeted for, and we had been to the cathedral loads of times anyway. It was free to visit at the time.

I actually went to the school to say I couldn't pay and was told that if I didn't pay none of the children would be able to go. I had to say I couldn't pay it and I wouldn't be allowing my child to go on the trip.

It's not always black and white - you are complaining about freeloaders and say that children on PP get half of it paid anyway - well I couldn't have paid for the other half and it is quite possible that those so-called 'freeloaders' can't afford to pay for the trip either.

I'm not sure what the value of the celebration day is. A visit to a local cathedral or castle is something you can see the value of.

School has misjudged those who cannot afford to pay, or have different priorities, or are just freeloaders.

I know our Head says they vault charge a penny over the total cost divided by the number of children who can attend something, so the prices are often a bit odd and £4.65 or £23.20 and there’s no also fund to top up the non-payers so it comes from money allocated for other things already, it is a tiny village state school. Last year the shortfall was massive and they got much firmer on everyone pay their child’s share or all additional activities will be stopped.

What pisses people off are the chasing emails which go to everyone rather than the people not paying. And some of the parents opposed to paying for trips are the highest income families in the nicest houses, they’ve openly said they don’t think they should have to pay for things that go on in the school day.

They are not making you pay, they are asking if you want to contribute extra before the trip is cancelled. So of course it’s allowed, nobody is making you do anything

We always chuck a bit in extra to cover some PP families as even half can be a lot when you’re struggling. As a kid I was on free school meals for a time so I feel like I’m just paying that back.

It’s like everything in society. People want stuff for free, don’t have to pay because they’re on X benefit. Just means the rest of us who pay, have to pay more for the service. Sick of it.

If they are only charging PP children half, then the other half should be paid for out of school PP funding, so is what they are saying that the shortfall is coming from non-PP children not paying?

It used to be the case (certainly at the school where I worked) that we’d use PTA money or school funds to cover the gap.

there’s always a gap.

school funding is a lot more under pressure than it was even five years ago so I’m not surprised they have to do this.

Former PTA Chair here - that was the wording we used to get parents who hadn't paid to cough up.
We never had to cancel a trip though, funds were always found
Its a shame that some parents who can afford to pay don't, although i appreciate that some just can't

YABU talking about PP parents as freeloaders. Has the school informed you that they are the ones who haven't paid?

I chaired the PTA and volunteered as all sorts in primary school and the PP families were always the first ones to donate to mufti-days and pay for trips. They'd sooner starve than have people thinking they're 'freeloaders'. I remember the teachers used to say the biggest issues were with the parents who (they thought) could actually afford it. They whine about/oppose everything.

I feel for those who are genuinely struggling to pay the bills in this current climate.

However, quite a few of those who didn't pay at my kids primary school were also the ones you'd see smoking outside the school gates and in the pub a few times a week ......

It’s voluntary. If it was me, I would pay it because I remember being poor as a child and all the things I missed out on. If I had the cash spare, out of my personal money not family money, I would definitely contribute. You don’t have to pay and you’re under no obligation to like it, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the school asking.

This drives me mad. It’s always the same parents who never bloody pay, it should go back to the days of don’t pay then your child doesn’t go while the others do. My ds has had loads of trips cancelled in the past due to this, yet they will have money to drink on the weekends!

They are asking for contributions. It's entirely reasonable to do so. We had similar recently and I chose to send another donation to cover 2 more children. Because I can and I wanted to.

At DS’s school, alongside the slip to pay for your own child’s place, is a slip to pay for another child’s place who can’t afford it.

I think this is a really good idea and I always pay for 2 ( as do many parents) because I can easily afford it but I remember being a child in a household where money was extremely tight.

Does the school have a PTFA? When this happens at my kids school the PTFA generally makes a donation to cover the shortfall for trips in these circumstances.

I think they should have allowed for slightly more room in the budget when doing the pricing originally but tbh I can't begrudge an extra couple of quid so everyone can go when I know some families don't have anything spare. So I don't think they're unreasonable to ask.

Yes some people are cheeky freeloaders but I'd rather all the kids go.

Let's make the impoverished/vulnerable/breadline children be more marginalised.

My dad died when I was kid, my mum struggled to make ends meet, of it wasn't for bursary I wouldn't have been able to go. It's hard enough growing up being 'different' and poor without being excluded as well.

Eh? Surely those that don't pay don't get to go. Why on earth should someone pay for someone else's kid to go as well as paying for their own?

This may be cruel but when I was at school if your parents couldn’t pay, you didn’t go on the trip. I think it should still be this way.

So other children should miss out? Most schools give months to pay, my sons school give an entire years notice, there’s no excuse even if they pay £1 a week towards it.