Village dinner aids city in teacher compensation: the tale of Voltaggio
In the picturesque town of Voltaggio, Italy, a challenging economic situation has led to a potential change in the kindergarten's school schedule. According to the mayor, Giuseppe Canepa, the kindergarten may have reduced teaching hours starting from September 2023.
To address this issue, a fundraising event was held last Saturday in the sagre area, attended by 200 participants. The event aimed to help raise funds to pay the teachers for the uncovered hours. Preliminary reports suggest that the fundraiser managed to raise between 4,000 and 5,000 euros.
The Galliera Foundation, a local benefactor, has pledged to contribute to the costs of paying for the extra teaching hours, as it did last year. However, the exact amount they will contribute has not been disclosed.
The funds raised from the fundraiser will be used to supplement the money provided by the municipality and the Galliera Foundation. The municipality, for its part, will also undertake seismic adaptation work on the building that houses the kindergarten and the elementary school by the summer.
The reduced teaching hours will result in a three-hour decrease, causing inconveniences to families in the Alta Val Lemme area. If the reduced teaching hours are implemented, the kindergarten lessons could end at 13 instead of 16. This change would also mean that there will only be one teacher to take care of 19 children for five hours.
Mayor Canepa has estimated that the state has not provided significant help in this case. He believes that small municipalities facing economic constraints often seek additional funding sources such as regional government support, local fundraising, or reallocation of budgets to maintain full school hours in kindergartens.
Despite the challenges, the municipal administration aims to guarantee families the school schedule until 16. More details about the funding estimates and measures taken by the municipality of Voltaggio can be found on their official website or by contacting local education authorities.
To better ensure the kindergarten in Voltaggio, Italy, maintains its full school hours, the community and local authorities are seeking additional funds. The funds raised from the recent fundraising event, plus contributions from the Galliera Foundation and the municipality, will work together to provide the average fund required for the average education-and-self-development of the kindergarten children.
