A push for flexible boarding school payment options generated wide discussion at the SA Isolated Children's Parents' conference on Friday last week.
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For many remote families, geographical isolation meant boarding was a necessity rather than a choice, and the drought had led to crippling financial hardship in the face of rising boarding fees.
But Flinders Ranges branch member Lisa Slade said at this stage, there was no one clear thought on how relief should be structured.
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"Assistance could be tacked onto the state education allowance as a one-off increase, as most families with children at boarding school would be in receipt of that change," she said.
"That's just one suggestion but the matter is certainly open to discussion."
Australian Boarding School Association executive director Richard Stokes said it was important for schools to understand the situations of remote families.
"The expectation to supply better supervision, more support and better programs means schools have to spend more money, so the cost of boarding is increasing, but this does not dilute the understanding schools and staff have of their country families' needs," he said.
Each time we go to boarding school it's as if we're dropping them to another planet.
- KATE GREENFIELD
But the level of understanding from schools about financial difficulties was questioned by the IPCA, and Ms Slade said there was a communication error between schools and families.
"My children go to boarding schools in Adelaide and neither have approached us, so while our needs are perhaps discussed at the higher end, that message doesn't seem to be filtering down to families, and that's where it needs to go."
ICPA federal publicity officer Nikki Macqueen encouraged families to talk to schools about financial troubles, saying the conversation had to flow both ways.
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"No matter how proud you are, you have to say to schools 'we are having difficulties paying our fees, can we please talk about this?' It's so important to have that conversation," she said.
In conjunction with financial relief for families, Port Augusta branch member Kate Greenfield said the wellbeing of students also needed to be a top priority.
"Each time we go to boarding school it's as if we're dropping them to another planet, everyone is just so unaware (of the drought) and we feel even further marginalised," she said.
