How rich is my partnership?
With 9 million euros, the largest surplus piggy bank for appropriate education is in Amsterdam-Zuidoost; relatively the largest is located opposite the Efteling in Kaatsheuvel. At the end of 2021, more than 130 million was unnecessarily on the shelf for all partnerships together. The Education magazine has mapped out the amounts per region.
Image: Google Maps, edited the Education magazine
Under political pressure, the joint organizations agreed in early 2021 to accelerate the reduction of their excess reserves over a few years. The piggy banks are shrinking, but more slowly than promised. The House of Representatives recently called for intervene in rich partnerships.
Nearly eight years after the introduction of appropriate education, the 151 institutions together possess 2021 million euros in public equity at the end of 205, of which 130 million is surplus. That is 8 million euros more than last month by the education ministers a letter was reported to the House of Representatives.
Partnerships are allowed to keep a small financial buffer for possible 'risks'. In order to visualize that maximum, the Education Inspectorate uses a signaling value for 'possible excess assets' (3,5 percent of total income).
On the basis of the most recent annual figures, the Education Magazine calculated - as in previous years - the excess buffer per organization. Of the 151 partnerships, 124 have too generous reserves: 65 in primary education and 59 in secondary education. That is five fewer than in 2020.
Money boxes on the map
The map below shows the partnerships at the end of 2021. In some regions, the organizations for primary and secondary education are at the same location. With the slider at the top left you can switch a sector (primary and secondary) on or off to show all organizations in that sector.
The largest piggy bank has just grown
The surplus reserves per institution vary from a few thousand euros to 9 million euros at the VO Amsterdam-Diemen Partnership. This organization has been at the top of the list of the largest for years absolute piggy bank. In 2021, the institution added a 'surplus' of more than 9 tons to its equity, which rose to 11,7 million euros. With a signaling value of 2,7 million, 9 million was therefore excessively on the shelf.
Or actually even more, because the organization itself thinks that a buffer of 1,5 million is perfectly sufficient to absorb any risks. Up to and including 2025, the partnership wants to use up the reserves by sending extra support money to the schools, so reports the annual report. In the course of 2025, it would then fall below the standard, if the estimates come true.
The partnership with the largest relative piggy bank, there is one in primary education: Partnership PO Langstraat Heusden Altena in Kaatsheuvel. This smaller organization must be able to manage with a buffer of 2,5 tons, but at the end of last year had 2,5 million in public equity. Also this setting says in its annual report to reduce the 2,25 million in excess reserves in the coming years. It was already less than the year before, in 2020, when there was more than 4 tons more in the piggy bank.
View the full list of 151 partnerships
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Compared to 2020, the collective surplus assets fell by almost 30 million euros last year. Of the 129 partnerships that were above the signaling value in 2020, 101 have cut their reserves. The other 28 organizations saw their excessive piggy banks grow. Organizations that have cut their reserves considerably include the Regional Partnership Foundation PVO Eindhoven & Kempenland and the Stichting Studentenzorg NW-Veluwe.
Added excess capital partnerships
- 2021: 130 million
- 2020: 160 million, see the article and overview
- 2019: 184 million, see the article and overview
Something else stood out in the area of accountability. School boards and partnerships for appropriate education must determine and submit their annual figures before 1 July. Nevertheless, in a small sample, it turned out that at least seven partnerships had still not put the 2021 annual report online at the end of 2022. The organizations that the editors asked for an explanation have done so.
About the standard
Since 2020, the Education Inspectorate has been using a signaling value to determine how much an organization 'reasonably' needs to absorb any risks. It is not a legal upper limit, but an indication. The standard for partnerships is 3,5 percent of the total income in the relevant financial year (with a minimum of 250.000). This standard is therefore recalculated every year. Only it audience equity capital counts, private equity is not taken into account (they hardly have partnerships either). A different formula for the asset standard applies to school boards.
