Richest and poorest Mackay Whitsunday schools revealed

Mackay’s richest school has raked in more than $105.5 million in five years but its average cost per student is less than a fifth of a Whitsundays’ school. SEE THE FULL BREAKDOWN.

An independent analysis of school financial records from the MySchool website have shown the massive amount of money some schools make every year, and how little some schools are forced to scrape by on.

The figures revealed Mackay North State High School in North Mackay had a higher gross income than any other school in the Mackay and Whitsunday region.

The school made a gross income of $105.5 million, according to financial records from the combined past five years.

The school’s income increased by seven per cent between 2017 and 2021.

Its total gross income per student in 2021 was $15,333 per student.

The region’s second richest school was Mercy College, in South Mackay, which had a gross income of $91.9 million.

Its total gross income per student in 2021 was $21,631.

The school with the third highest gross income was Holy Spirit College, in Mount Pleasant, which made $87.1 million.

Its total gross income per student in 2021 was $21,113.

The figures include all fees, charges and parental contributions as well as State and Federal Government funding and any other private sources over the five years from 2017 to 2021.

It does not include any deductions for capital works or debt servicing.

The analysis does not include special schools or schools that did not have complete financial data in MySchool for one or more of the five years.

Hayman Island State School at Whitsundays had the lowest gross income of any school in the Mackay and Whitsunday region.

It made just $1.6 million over the five year period.

Its total gross income increased by 24 percent from 2017 to 2021 while the total gross income per student in 2021 was $79,289.

Oakenden State School at Oakenden had the second lowest gross income of any school in the Mackay and Whitsunday region.

It made just $2.1 million over the five year period.

Its total gross income increased by 41 per cent from 2017 to 2021 while the total gross income per student in 2021 was $47,515.

Pinnacle State School at Pinnacle had the third lowest gross income of any school in the Mackay and Whitsunday region.

It made just $2.1 million over the five year period.

Its total gross income increased by 20 per cent from 2017 to 2021 while the total gross income per student in 2021 was $47,725.