Catholic school St Paul’s College to cut fees by nearly 11 per cent for 2019

AN Adelaide private school will cut fees by an average of 10.7 per cent in 2019 for Years 8 to 12, and then freeze them for 2020.

A CATHOLIC school will cut fees by an average of 10.7 per cent in 2019 for Years 8 to 12, and then freeze them for 2020.

The biggest reduction at St Paul’s College will be for Year 8s, for which fees will drop from $7327 to $6000.

Principal Paul Belton said strong enrolment growth since the Gilles Plains boys’ school went from a Year 5-12 to an R-12 school in 2013, and increasing government funding, had allowed for the fee cuts.

While fees will increase for Years 3-7, including a big rise from $4057 to $5000 for Year 7, the total cost of an R-12 education will fall by 2.5 per cent.

Mr Belton said regardless of what year level a student entered, the cost of reaching Year 12 would fall.

He was “very conscious the costs of education are getting too dear” and said the school already allowed more than $1 million a year in fee remissions for struggling parents.

Mr Belton said student:teacher ratios may be adjusted but would still remain well within levels in industrial agreements.

Fee reductions would lower revenue by $250,000 a year, without factoring in enrolment increases that are most likely in Year 7 as the Catholic system shifts that level into high schools.

Mr Belton said levels of direct spending on students would not be affected “in any way, shape or form”.

St Paul’s has grown from 585 students in 2012 to 680 this year. Mr Belton anticipated reaching “the 800s” but did not want to get bigger than that.