Parents' Clubs

Financial management requirements

Under the Education and Training Reform Regulations 2017 (Vic) (the Regulations), a parents’ club must ensure that any fundraising for the school or expenditure is made with the approval of the school council and in compliance with the requirements relating to fundraising. For information on the requirements for fundraising refer to Fundraising Activities (including fetes) and Finance Manual – section 9 Funding Sources.

The Regulations also require parents’ clubs to maintain a separate account for the purpose of the administrative functions of the parents’ club and for any funds raised by the club. This account must be a separate subprogram in CASES21, within the school’s official account.

Allocation of funds in CASES21

The department does not consider it best practice for unallocated sums of money to sit in a club’s CASES21 sub-program account. Where funds are raised for a particular purpose they should be recorded in CASES21 against that purpose and expended by the school council for that purpose.

If a parents’ club raises funds for the purpose of establishing or augmenting school funds, the funds may be used at the discretion of the school council. The department strongly recommends that the school council discuss early on with the club what the funds will be used for.

Any unspent parents’ club funds should be included in the financial commitment summary at the end of each year and carried forward into the parents’ club sub-program the following year as part of the budgeting process. These funds are considered to be ‘committed funds’.

The department considers it best practice that principals and other school staff work closely with parents’ clubs and provide the club with a copy of the club’s sub-program CASES21 Variance Report and Transaction Report (usually once per month). It is recommended that the principal and/or business manager meet with the parents' club to discuss timelines which work for both the school and parents’ club.

The club’s finances will be audited as part of the audit of the school’s finances.

For support in managing the parents’ club sub-program in CASES21, contact: schools.finance.support@education.vic.gov.au

For more details about the financial requirements of a parents’ club, refer to: Parents’ club frequently asked finance questions (DOCX).

For information on planning and conducting school fundraising activities, refer to Fundraising Activities (including fetes).