Trinity College in Adelaide urged to pay back $12m in JobKeeper after posting $17.5m surplus

A private school north of Adelaide is being urged to repay almost $12 million in JobKeeper funding after recording an operating surplus of $17.5 million.

A private school in Adelaide’s north is being urged to consider paying back almost $12 million in JobKeeper subsidies it pocketed last year after the college posted an operating surplus of $17.5 million for 2020.

Trinity College, which comprises five campuses in Gawler, Gawler River and Blakeview, has defended its acceptance of the taxpayer-funded hand-out, saying it operates a community recreation centre where staff were stood down during last year’s lockdowns.

The college’s financial statements show it achieved an operating surplus of $17.5 million in 2020, significantly up from a $5 million surplus recorded the previous year.

The document also reveals the school received $11.8 million in JobKeeper funding in 2020, bringing its total income for the year to $77.3 million – about $15.2 million more than in 2019.

Its total expenditure for 2019 and 2020 was $59.8 million and $57.1 million, respectively.

ACT-based Labor MP Dr Andrew Leigh, who has been raising questions over businesses and private schools across Australia receiving JobKeeper funding when they seemingly didn’t need it, says Trinity College’s situation was another example of an unnecessary handout.

Trinity College is being urged to pay back JobKeeper subsidies. Picture: File

Dr Leigh says the school should consider paying the money back.

“JobKeeper was to keep struggling firms and non-profits from laying off staff,” he said.

“It definitely wasn’t for private schools with rising revenue to use as a down payment for their next building project.”

Dr Leigh said the federal government “couldn’t find enough money for Pfizer vaccines last year, yet they splashed billions on multinationals and millionaires who didn’t need it”.

Trinity College Principal Nick Hately said at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the college stood down almost 150 staff, mostly from its community recreation centre STARplex.

“The college was experiencing significant losses at STARplex, alongside high increases in bursaries and the need to provide fee relief from impacted families,” he said.

“To contain costs all capital projects were frozen and some educational offerings cut back for a period of time.”

Mr Hately said the college sought approval from the Australian Taxation Office before applying for JobKeeper funding.

“As a low-fee college in a low socio-economic region in the North of Adelaide, the college has and will continue to use any additional funds to support its community by way of offering discounts for those experiencing financial difficulty and investing in jobs,” he said.

“Unlike the private sector, as a not-for-profit charity, all funds are used to support the work of the school and delivery of education to its students.”

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg referred The Advertiser to previous public statements he had made about JobKeeper, where he said if businesses were able to pay back their subsidies they should do so.

However, he said businesses were not obligated to return the cash.

Association of Independent Schools of SA chief executive Carolyn Grantskalns said the majority of independent schools across the state did not seek JobKeeper funding.

“Most of our schools didn’t apply (for JobKeeper),” she said.

“Some of them looked at it (but) I don’t know whether they got it.”

Catholic Education SA confirmed some Catholic schools received JobKeeper however it was unable to provide further details due to leadership personnel being on leave.