Jetsetting elite school staff rack up six-figure travel bills

An elite Brisbane school has spent more than $110,000 on staff trips including for its headmaster who visited Dubai, London, LA and New York in 2022, while other Queensland school travel bills weren’t too far behind.

Where Qld’s principals have jetsetted.

An elite Brisbane school spent more than $110,000 on staff overseas trips including for its jetsetting headmaster who travelled to Dubai, London, Los Angeles and New York.

Brisbane Grammar School forked out a total of $114,000 on 10 overseas trips across 2022, the institution’s financial records show.

The school, which charges Year 12 fees of $30,000, and Queensland’s seven other grammar schools are required to submit their financial reports publicly, offering insight into the annual operations.

According to BGS’s overseas travel logs, headmaster Anthony Micallef went on a trip to Dallas and Fort Worth in Texas for “professional development” which cost $27,193.

The school’s director of student wellbeing and a teacher were also on the Texas trip which cost $10,353 and $4910 respectively.

Mr Micallef and an executive director also travelled to Dubai, London, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco for “community relations” at a cost of $60,000.

Brisbane Grammar School headmaster Anthony Micallef.

Four other staff members had trips to New Zealand, each worth between $2500 and $2950 to meet prospective students and attend sailing championships.

Brisbane Grammar School did not respond when approached for comment by The Courier-Mail.

Prior to Covid-19 shutting down international flights, Mr Micallef also departed on four overseas trips in 2019.

It included two trips to the United Kingdom to attend an International Boys’ Schools Coalition conference and professional development costing $35,427, and another IBSC conference in Canada costing $19,546.

Brisbane Grammar School. Picture: Richard Walker

He also accompanied students to an Asia-Pacific Young Leadership Summit in Indonesia costing $2754.

In total, more than $92,000 was forked out for international travel for staff on 15 trips abroad.

Ipswich Grammar School headmaster Richard Morrison travelled to Japan for “business” which cost $9599.

The school’s international marketing manager also went to Thailand, Vietnam and Japan for “business” which cost $10,446, while two other staff members had international trips worth $714 each.

Ipswich Grammar School headmaster Richard Morrison.

An Ipswich Grammar School spokeswoman said the costs associated with overseas travel in 2022 represented two separate trips.

“One that included staff accompanying a group of boys on a learning experience and one for the purpose of building relationships with partners school in international markets,” she said.

“During the previous two years, the was little to no spend attached to overseas travel due to the pandemic.”

In 2019, Mr Morrison went on two trips to China and Japan for business at a total cost of $1199. Six trip were made by its international marketing manager who went to several Asian countries worth $12,969.

One teacher from Brisbane Girls Grammar School went to the United States for a “robotic telescopes, student research and education conference” which cost $4524. Another staff member also went to the United States at no cost to the school.

A head of year and a teacher at Rockhampton Grammar School attended a conference in London.

A head of year and a teacher at Rockhampton Grammar School each went to London for a conference and to supervise students which cost $5540.

Toowoomba, Townsville, Ipswich Girls and Rockhampton Girls grammar schools did not record any overseas travel expenses in 2022.

Brisbane Grammar School declined to comment.

Other elite Queensland schools including Anglican Church Grammar School, The Southport School and St Joseph’s Nudgee College were approached for comment but did not respond.