Families will be supported ahead of the return to school with hundreds of dollars in new and significantly expanded support measures to help with the cost of living.

As more than 193,000 South Australian children head into classrooms at public schools across the state, targeted assistance now available to manage the pressures of the cost of living for families has been outlined.

All families with children at public schools and who are required to pay the materials and services charge will benefit from a discount of $200 per child in 2025, double what was offered in recent years.

The discount was first introduced in 2022 to support families and will automatically be applied to the school invoice.

The prescribed component of the annual materials and services charge, which covers the cost of essential items and services used or consumed by a student for the school year, is this year set at $300 for each primary student and $396 for each secondary student.

This adds to support already provided to families in their extra-curricular activities with the expansion of the Sports Voucher program.

Children from Reception to Year 9 are now eligible to receive double the support through two $100 Sports Vouchers per calendar year. For the first time, music lessons and active recreation will also be incorporated.

So far, more than a million dollars of support has been provided through more than 10,000 vouchers since the start of the month.

In another layer of support, applications are now open for low-income families who qualify for a School Card – and this year, the threshold has increased by 4.5%.

A family with a combined gross income of lower than $74,189 can qualify for the School Card, which means they won’t need to pay a materials and services charge and can also qualify for help with expenses such as uniforms, and camps and excursion costs.

The threshold has increased by more than $13,322 since 2021 and, in the public system, about a third of families are on School Cards.

If families aren’t eligible for the School Card, they should reach out to their school who can help with assistance such as payment options and plans.

Brompton Primary School Principal Tina Treffers said, The first day of the school year is always a mix of emotions – for students, parents and staff.

“We work hard to settle everyone into a routine quickly and smoothly, especially those who are taking their first steps on their educational journey”.

“We know that some of our families are having a tough time financially, and it’s important that they know support is available in a range of areas”.

“Parents are always welcome to have a chat with me – or their child’s site leader – about how we can best support their child to settle into school and thrive”, Ms Treffers said.

Additionally, families will be provided with assistance through a series of pilot programs, financial rebates and targeted support during the 2025 school year.

More than 340 schools across South Australia have registered to participate in the School Device Program.

Families on a School Card, with students in years 7 and 10 attending one of the participating schools, will receive free devices to support their studies. There are also bulk purchasing discounts for other families.

As of this month, 14,709 digital devices have been purchased via the School Device Program, with the purchasing portal open throughout the year for schools and families to purchase devices at any time – providing a discount of up to 15%.

Families without reliable home internet can also request free internet from the department at any time throughout the school year – last year, the program provided 205 students with access to internet services at no cost.

In terms 1 and 2, the Department for Education will run a trial program for funding to be provided to year 7 country School Card students to support their attendance on school camps and excursions – more than 1000 students will be eligible for support.

Hundreds of schools will also be providing breakfast programs for students, with an additional $6.5 million committed to the program leading to an increase in services.

While each school makes the decision about using a breakfast program, and how often, there has been an increase in the number of days of operation with 71% of sites running a 5-day per week breakfast program in 2024, compared to 56% at the end of 2023.