Education Department figures obtained by The Sunday Herald Sun reveal Ballarat High School has $229,644 in reserves, while Ballarat Secondary College has $307,613.

The figures, which also reveal Beaufort Secondary College has $54,213 in reserve and Daylesford Secondary College has $86,869, paint a glowing picture for the region's schools, compared with 25 government schools which had balances

of less than $10,000 last December.

Ballarat High School principal Lorraine Hayes said the school set aside reserves for operational costs.

"If one of our boilers blew up that would cost $40,000 or a photocopier could cost $27,000," she said.

"I think its enough to cover any unexpected costs that arise."

Mrs Hayes said schools were permitted to reserve a certain per centage of government funding.

"Given the size of the school budget, that is not a lot of money," she said.

Mrs Hayes said she did not know how schools with no cash reserves covered operating costs that arise during the year.

"I don't know how they're surviving," she said.

Ballarat Secondary College principal Paul Rose said its cash reserve covered the cost of materials needed for general maintenance.

"It's a minimal reserve," he said.

"It equates to about 2.5 per cent of the total school budget, which if you were operating a business, is pretty close to the bone."

Mr Rose said the school's financial management had resulted in the $307,631 reserve.

"The school's prudent financial management has allowed us to operate efficiently from day one," he said.