‘Our electricity bills for October and November totalled €20,000’ – fee-charging schools struggling to keep up with soaring costs

The principal of Sligo Grammar School says it could be facing a crippling six-figure increase in costs over the year

Sligo Grammar School principal Michael Hall says it has become ‘nigh on impossible’ to cover costs

Katherine Donnelly

Some fee-charging post-primary schools are struggling to make ends meet because of crippling energy bills.

Almost 700 schools in the “free education” scheme are receiving a special state grant of between €22,600 and €113,000 this winter to subsidise a surge in heating and lighting costs.