Faces behind Queensland’s cashed up independent schools
Meet the principals earning top dollars running some of Queensland’s most expensive independent schools.
Logan
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Queensland’s 220 independent schools are some of the best in the country but also some of the most expensive.
Often referred to as private schools, they are headed by some of the state’s highest-paid principals.
Here are the faces behind some of Queensland’s most expensive independent schools.
The schools were ranked using this year’s fees, both inclusive and tuition-only.
Where possible, the most up-to-date data came from the latest publicly available annual reports.
ANTHONY MICALLEF
BOYS GRAMMAR
Of the 80 Queensland independent schools surveyed, the most expensive in 2021 was Anthony Micallef’s Brisbane Grammar School, where the average tuition fees for a year 12 student this year were $28,230. Mr Micallef, who has been with the school for 25 years and headmaster since 2014, is believed to have been paid $539,000 in 2020. The school reported a headline operating surplus for the year ended December 31, 2020 of $3,763,000. The underlying operating surplus was $3,449,000 compared to $4,911,000 in 2019. In 2020, Grammar took $45,621,000 in tuition fees and $1,456,000 in boarding fees. It received $3,153,000 from Jobkeeper and $21,000 from the Australian Sports Foundation grant. Unfortunately, during the year, the school made payments in settlement of claims made by past students related to sexual assault amounting to $1,228,000 net of insurance.
JACINDA EULER
BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR
The second most expensive independent school in Queensland, the sister school to Brisbane Grammar, was Brisbane Girls Grammar, headed up by principal Jacinda Euler, who was believed to have been paid $571,888 last year after a $32,605 pay rise.
The school made a surplus of $3.4 million in 2020, down from $4 million in 2019, after discounting term 2 tuition fees by 10 per cent, at a cost of $905,000. This year, the average cost for a year 12 student at the school is $26,555 inclusive.
ANDRE CASSON
BRISBANE BOYS’ COLLEGE
Harvard Business School graduate Andre Casson will head up the state’s third most expensive independent school, Brisbane Boys’ College at Toowong at the end of the year.
It is unknown exactly what his salary package will be but tuition fees for a year 12 student this year averaged $24,724. Mr Casson was appointed headmaster in June to replace current headmaster Paul Brown, who will resign at the end of this year after three years in the role. He is currently on leave but has insisted he will return for the final term of the 2021 school year. Mr Brown’s resignation came after his handling of a gang bashing by students.
ROS CURTIS
ST MARGARET’S ANGLICAN GIRLS SCHOOL
Ros Curtis heads up the state’s fourth most expensive independent school, where the average fees for a year 12 student this year were in the vicinity of $24,560 inclusive.
There are about 1175 students in the school, with around 355 primary students and 820 girls in the secondary school. St Margaret’s has about 185 boarders from Years 5 to 12 living on the Ascot campus. Domestic tuition fees made up 55.6 per cent of the school’s income with fees from international students making up 4.92 per cent. Boarding fees were 9.44 per cent.
ANDREW HAWKINS
THE SOUTHPORT SCHOOL
Andrew Hawkins was appointed headmaster to The Southport School this year, where the average inclusive tuition fee for a year 12 student was $24,438. It is unknown what his salary is but he oversees 1670 students.
Government funding in 2020 increased with the pandemic but in 2019, the school’s recurrent federal government funding was $10,801,825 and $3,786,890 from the state government. Fees and charges that year generated $28,126,501. Mr Hawkins was from Emerald and was a boarder at the school. After graduating in 1995 as Vice-School Captain, he went to the UK. On his return, he studied a combined Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement Studies) and Education degree at The University of Queensland. After a number of years teaching at state high schools in Brisbane and as a Boarding Master at Brisbane Grammar School, he took up a full-time PE teaching position at The Southport School in 2004. He has held the roles of Physical Education Head of Department, Dean of Students Years 8 and 9, Dean of Students Years 10-12, Biddle Boarding Housemaster and Deputy Headmaster – Head of Senior School.
Dr ALAN CAMPBELL
ANGLICAN CHURCH GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Dr Alan Campbell was appointed eighth Headmaster of Anglican Church Grammar School from January 2014.
The school is often listed in the top 10 of Australia’s most expensive independent schools. Dr Campbell’s salary was not revealed in the school’s 2020 annual report but it is believed to be in the vicinity of $500,000. At the end of 2020, Churchie’s enrolment included 1821 students, including 145 boarders, eight international students and 18 indigenous students. In 2020 Churchie had 279 employee members of which principal Campbell was the highest paid.
KIM KIEPE
SOMERVILLE HOUSE
Kim Kiepe oversees the running of the 122-year-old school which has 104 full-time teachers and 1385 students. Although the exact details of her salary have not been listed in the school’s public annual report, Mrs Kiepe is believed to earn more than $500,000 a year.
In November, she is alleged to have shut down the parents and friends association and access to bank funds believed to be about $1.12m. As the school principal, she is jointly responsible for managing Somerville House’s financial accounts, budget and performance along with the School Council and business manager. The school has independent income, bank accounts, expenditure, and targets from the other Presbyterian and Methodist Schools’ Association schools, which include Brisbane Boys’ College, Clayfield College, and Sunshine Coast Grammar School. This year, the average school fees for a year 12 student at Somerville House were $23,940. All income that Somerville House receives from fees, donations, government grants and any other source is used entirely to operate and develop Somerville House. No funds are shared, cross subsidised or transferred between any PMSA schools.
TONI RIORDAN
St AIDEN’S ANGLICAN GIRLS’ SCHOOL
The exclusive western suburbs school has approximately 320 students in the junior school and 600 students in the senior school with a kindergarten licensed for 22 students. Ms Riordan oversees 151 teachers.
Domestic tuition fees, which were about $22,120 for a Year 12 student this year, made up more than 67 per cent of the school’s income last year. Grants made up about 21 per cent of the income last year with salaries making up about 61 per cent of the school’s expenses that year. Although the school’s public annual report failed to detail Ms Riordan’s salary it is expected to be around $500,000.
RICHARD MORRISON
IPSWICH GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Headmaster and CEO Richard Morrison earned every penny of the $565,000 salary he was paid in 2020, overseeing the school which had an operating profit of $1.85 million.
School fees were $17,984 inclusive in 2020, when the school spent $10.2 million on new equipment and infrastructure.
It also completed a state-of-the-art STEM teaching facility costing $10.9 million. More than $13,278,000 in income came from tuition and boarding fees. Mr Morrison’s contract was extended for five years in 2020 and he had been praised for stemming a “serious” decline in student numbers at the 157-year-old school, where he started as headmaster in 2016. Enrolments exceeded 1000 for the first time in 2020.
PETER BRITTON
IPSWICH GIRLS’ GRAMMAR
Dr Peter Britton, who heads up Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School, earned $415,022 in 2020, according to the school’s annual report for that year. The school’s total comprehensive income for 2020 was $1,557,612, with tuition fees making up a large slice of its income. Tuition fees brought in $9,825,459 and boarding fees brought in $1,264,209.
It made $20,286 from hiring out facilities. It also received $9,642,349 in state and commonwealth grants and funds. However, the school spent $15,341,812 on salaries and wages. At December 2020, the school’s current liabilities exceeded its current assets by $2,120,811. It has access to an overdraft facility with a limit of $3 million but had not used that as at December 2020. The school is forecasting an operating surplus and positive operating cash flows for the 2021 financial year which is sufficient to allow it to meet its financial commitments.
Dr Britton became the first male headmaster at the school in 2010. Before taking up the post, he had held senior roles at Brisbane Boys’ College.
JOHN KINNIBURGH
TOOWOOMBA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
The school’s headmaster Dr John Kinniburgh took up his role this year, replacing headmaster Peter Hauser who was with the school for 18 years at the top. Although it is unknown exactly how much the new headmaster will receive, last year’s annual report showed Mr Hauser earned $565,000 and his deputy $301,000.
Five other executive teachers also earned more than $218,000. During Mr Hauser’s term, the school increased enrolments and embarked on a significant infrastructure expansion. Mr Hauser was the third longest-serving headmaster with his tenure dating from 2003 to 2020. Total fees income in 2020 was $21,841,965 with a further $12,329,009 in government grants and other income boosting that by $5,016,472.
Tuition fees brought in $16,746,938, boarding fees $4,830,112 and enrolment fees $264,915. The school received $12,329,009 in state and federal grants and $4,114,965 in federal help funding. It spent $24,090,339 on salaries, wages and employee expenses, of which Mr Hauser’s salary was one of the largest outlays. The school provided families with a 15 per cent reduction in the Term 2 tuition fees and general purpose levies to reflect the pandemic amendments.
TIM KELLY
TOWNSVILLE GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Townsville Grammar School principal Tim Kelly took up the position of running the 133-year-old school in 2018. Last year, Mr Kelly is believed to have earned $433,000 with his deputy Connor Barrett on $204,000. Mr Kelly had to oversee 130 boarders and 1250 students.
In 2020, Townsville Grammar School had a surplus from ordinary activities, after interest and depreciation of $288,886, well down on 2019’s surplus of $957,806. The school had total revenue of $29 million, with $12,087,886 from tuition fees, $2,094,841 from boarding fees and $13 million in government funding. At the end of 2020, there was $6.1 million in cash and investments. School fees, which are this year about $13,200 for tuition, brought in $14,535,749 with government grants adding $13,135,521. The school’s total income was $31,232,320 with an operating surplus before depreciation and interest expenses of $3,610,828. Borrowings at the end of the 2020 financial year were $11,629,956.
PHILLIP MOULDS
ROCKHAMPTON GRAMMAR
Headmaster Dr Phillip Moulds is the ninth to lead The Rockhampton Grammar School, which was established in 1881. Dr Moulds, who had to oversee 1373 students and 407 full time and part time staff, is reported to have earned $498,626 in 2020, according to the school’s annual report.
That year, the school recorded an operating surplus of $5,592,717 after interest payments and depreciation. It had a total income of $47,577,531 with $11,603,422 from tuition fees and $5,039,174 from boarding fees. Income received from the Australian Government’s Jobkeeper Scheme to September 2020 was $5,628,000 and there was also a cash flow boost of $100,000. The school reported income losses of about $1.5 million from the Early Learning Centre, international education, boarding, and other activities affected by Covid.
DEANNE JOHNSTON
ROCKHAMPTON GIRLS GRAMMAR
The head of Rockhampton Girls Grammar Deanne Johnston is reported to have earned $249,111 in 2020 with her deputy on $149,271. Ms Johnston had to oversee 290 students and a budget which included a total operating income of $9,699,000 compared to $9,185,000 in 2019.
Tuition fees totalled $2,570,413 and boarding fees were $1,184,749 with grants and other income $5,346,179. Total expenses were $8,451,452. The school’s operating income was affected during Term 2 due to the loss of boarding revenue from the mandated temporary closure of the boarding houses. Fundraising and donation income was also reduced due to the cancellation of many events. This loss of revenue was managed through the school’s eligibility and receipt of $1,116,000 JobKeeper funding. Student numbers continued to increase in 2020 with 294 students at year’s end. The largest portion of the school’s operating expenses in any year relate to staff costs. A salary and wage increase of 2.5 per cent was passed on to all employees from July 2020.
KAREN SPILLER
JOHN PAUL COLLEGE
Principal Karen Spiller oversees the most expensive independent school in Logan ranked using school fees being charged this year. Although it is not known how much Mrs Spiller earns, she took up the post at the prestigious John Paul College in 2018 after leaving St Aidan’s Anglican Girls School where she was principal from 2000 to 2017.
The Daisy Hill college charged $14,300 for tuition fees this year, which is the most expensive out of the Logan independent high schools, which include Canterbury College, Hills International, Rivermount College, Calvary Christian College, Parklands Christian College and Groves.
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