South Australian families are set to save hundreds of dollars a year after the Malinauskas Government announced it will introduce legislation to abolish state school fees from the start of the 2027 school year. The reforms will affect around 90,000 families and more than 110,000 students across the state, covering all year levels from Reception through to Year 12.

What the South Australian Public School Fee Abolition Means for Families

Although public schools are widely understood to be free, most South Australian families currently pay annual materials and services charges to help cover classroom resources and day-to-day expenses. Under the proposed laws, those charges would be eliminated entirely, with the state government absorbing the cost instead.

The average annual charge currently sits at around $382 for primary school students and $723 for secondary school students. For households with multiple children, those amounts add up quickly.

Adelaide father Steve Halls, who has four school-aged children and sits on a school governing council, welcomed the announcement.

"As a parent of four school-aged children and a member of the governing council, I know how much the cost of school can add up, particularly for families with more than one child, like ours," he said. "This change will make a huge difference to our family, but also to many other families across the high school community. It's one less cost for parents to worry about and will help ease pressure on household budgets."

The Financial Scale of the Reform

The state government estimates that scrapping the fees will deliver $64 million in combined savings to families in 2027 alone. When combined with existing support measures already in place, total savings are projected to reach $300 million over four years.

Schools will not lose funding as a result of the change. The legislation is designed so that schools continue to receive the same level of resources, with the government covering what families previously paid.

Low-income families currently eligible for the School Card scheme will retain access to additional support for specialist subjects and programs that fall outside the scope of the new changes.

Government and School Leaders Back the Move

Education Minister Lucy Hood described the legislation as a landmark reform, framing it as a direct response to ongoing cost-of-living pressures facing South Australian households.

"South Australian families continue to face cost-of-living pressures, making it more important than ever that public education remains genuinely accessible," she said. "These landmark reforms put money directly back into the pockets of families and remove barriers that shouldn't get in the way of a quality education."

Hood noted the legislation builds on a series of earlier measures introduced by the government, including school fee discounts, sports vouchers, free Year 7 camps, laptop support programs and expanded school breakfast programs. "We first discounted school fees, now we're stepping up to remove them altogether," she said.

Woodville High School principal Anna Mirasgentis said the changes would be felt across her school community. "This legislation will help take some of that financial pressure off parents and make a real difference to families across our school community," she said. "We want every student to have the opportunity to get involved, make the most of their education and take part in everything school has to offer, and this is a positive step towards making that easier for families."

What Happens Next

The government is introducing the bill to parliament this week, with the changes legislated to take effect from the beginning of the 2027 school year. The reform fulfils a Labor election commitment to deliver genuinely fee-free public schooling across South Australia.

If passed, the legislation will formally end the longstanding practice of families being asked to contribute to the cost of their children's public school education, a change that supporters say will make a meaningful difference for the tens of thousands of households managing tight budgets.

For more on South Australian government decisions drawing public attention, see our earlier coverage.