Private schools in Queensland pocket JobKeeper handouts worth millions

Expensive private schools in Queensland have been pocketing JobKeeper, despite paying some principals as much as the Prime Minister. SEE LIST

Elite private schools have pocketed millions of dollars in JobKeeper handouts, despite making fat profits and handing headmasters pay rises in 2020. 

The exclusive Brisbane Grammar School paid headmaster Anthony Micallef $539,000 in 2020, after a $16,000 rise boosted his salary package to rival the Prime Minister’s.

Taxpayers handed the school $3.1 million in JobKeeper payments last year to top up staff salaries, the school’s annual report reveals.

Brisbane Grammar is Queensland’s most expensive private school, charging parents up to $28,960 this year, but its operating surplus fell from $4.9 million in 2019 to $3.5 million last year.

Mr Micallef said the boarding school’s eligibility for the first phase of the scheme prevented job losses during the forced Term 2 campus closure, particularly catering, maintenance and tutoring staff.

Brisbane Grammar School headmaster Anthony Micallef. Picture: Steve Pohlner)

“BGS operates without the financial backing of a broader church or government school system,” he said.

“Being a not-for-profit institution, all funds generated must be used to fulfil and further the school’s educational mission to its students now and well into the future.”

He said the school responded to the economic impact the pandemic had on families by offering a 10 per cent tuition fee discount.

Sister school Brisbane Girls Grammar received an Australian Taxation Office “cash boost’’ of $87,500 “to support operations during the COVID-19 disruptions’’, but did not get any JobKeeper payments.

Principal Jacinda Euler was paid $571,888 after a $32,605 pay rise.

The school made a surplus of $3.4 million last year – down from $4 million in 2019 – after discounting term 2 tuition fees by 10 per cent, at a cost of $905,000.

Brisbane Grammar School received $3.1 million in JobKeeper payments last year.

JobKeeper, a wage subsidy paid to companies that lost 30 per cent of revenue last year to prevent job losses, ended this week.

But some retailers whose profits surged during the pandemic are refusing to hand back the taxpayer cash.

Grammar school annual reports tabled in Queensland parliament provide the only public scrutiny of JobKeeper payments to Australia’s private schools.

Ipswich Grammar School received $2.8 million in JobKeeper payments last year, on the grounds it was “significantly affected by coronavirus’’.

Its revenue from tuition and boarding fees was $13.2 million – barely changed from the $13.8 million the previous year.

The grammar school made a $1.8 million surplus last year – up from $1.7 million in 2019.

Headmaster Richard Morrison received a $565,000 salary package, including a $26,000 pay rise last year.

Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School gave a 7.8 per cent pay rise to principal Dr Peter Britton, boosting his salary package by $30,000 to $415,000 last year.
The school made a $1.6 million surplus in 2020 – up from $58,000 in 2019 – and did not receive JobKeeper.

Brisbane Girls Grammar School received an Australian Taxation Office “cash boost’’ of $87,500. Pictured principal Jacinda Euler.

Rockhampton Grammar School received $5.7 million in JobKeeper payments last year, after losing $1.5 million through its childcare centre, international students and boarding income.

After pocketing JobKeeper it made a $5.59 million surplus – up from $1.2 million in 2019.

The school paid new headmaster Dr Phillip Moulds $498,626 in 2020.

In its annual report, the school board said it was “grateful for the JobKeeper program’’.

“Our unwavering priority was to ensure that we kept our people employed through these stressful and uncertain times while maintaining high levels of education to our students,’’ it states.

JobKeeper payments totalling $1.1 million delivered Rockhampton Girls’ Grammar its “strongest profit result’’ in five years, of $1.2 million.

“This was able to be achieved despite loss of revenue due to COVID due to receipt of the Government’s JobKeeper funding, increased student numbers throughout the year and other operating cost savings throughout the period of the school closure,’’ its annual report states.

“This allowed the school to increase cash reserves by $1.2 million, whilst investing a significant amount in capital expenditure along with further reduction of debt throughout the year.’’

The school – which charges up to $9232 per year in tuition fees – paid principal Deanne Johnston a $249,111 salary package in 2020.

Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School gave a 7.8 per cent pay rise to principal Dr Peter Britton, boosting his salary package by $30,000 to $415,000 last year.

Toowoomba Grammar School credits a $4.1 million JobKeeper payment, as well as a 4 per cent increase in student numbers, for its $2.58 million operating surplus in 2020 – 10 times higher than in 2019.

Headmaster Peter Hauser earned a $565,000 salary package before retiring at the end of last year.

Townsville Grammar School said it had made a strong $3.6 million surplus – up from $2.4 million in 2019 – “without taking advantage of the JobKeeper payments offered by the Commonwealth Government’’.

Principal Timothy Kelly received a $47,000 pay rise to earn $433,000 last year.

Australian Education Union president Correna Haythorpe said elite private schools had a “moral obligation” to consider handing back the JobKeeper cash if they had made profits last year.

“These figures are astonishing and further evidence of the deep inequality that exists in school funding,” she said.

“Given several companies have returned JobKeeper payments, there is a moral question about whether these elite schools that made profits should do the same.

“Just imagine if that funding was used instead for students in disadvantaged communities.”