Central Coast’s richest and most expensive schools revealed
Central Coast schools with the highest and lowest incomes have been revealed. See where your child’s school sits.
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Central Coast’s richest school raked in more than $88.1 million in three years, according to tightly held school statistics.
An independent analysis of school financial records from the MySchool website has revealed the massive amount of money some schools make every year, and how little some schools are forced to scrape by on.
Not surprisingly, the figures revealed Central Coast Grammar School in Erina Heights had a higher gross income than any other school in the region.
The school made a gross income of $88.1 million, according to financial records from the three most recently available years.
The school does not hide the fact it heavily invests back into its students and facilities, with construction of a brand new kindergarten to Year 6 junior school announced in June.
The development will include three buildings, one each for Years K to 2, 3 to 4 and 5 to 6, along with an outdoor junior assembly area that will double as a sports grandstand.
Central Coast Grammar School headmaster Bill Low said the new K — 6 facility would be completed by the start of the 2021 school year and revolutionise teaching and learning.
“During the last four years we’ve transformed our learning culture and implemented Harvard Education’s Teaching for Understanding Framework, but it’s challenging to deliver student centred, innovative and collaborative learning in buildings dating from the foundation of the school in 1985,” he said.
“Revolutionising learning has driven every design decision for this new facility, resulting in a learning environment centred on students rather than classrooms. Adaptable furniture and learning spaces will give teachers the flexibility to facilitate individual focus, group projects and grade workshops according to different learning intentions and learning styles.”
In 2018 the senior school underwent a $2 million redevelopment of the history and English block, while other developments over the last decade have included construction of a dedicated dance studio, $10 million Performing Arts Centre, redevelopment of the science centre, new library and a floodlit synthetic sports field.
The region’s second richest school was MacKillop Catholic College, in Warnervale, which had a gross income of $70.1 million.
The school with the third highest gross income was St Edward’s Christian Brothers College, Point Frederick, which made $57.1 million.
The figures include all fees, charges and parental contributions as well as State and Federal Government funding and any other private sources during 2015, 2016 and 2017.
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.
Macdonald Valley Public School, located in Central Macdonald had the lowest gross income of any school in the region. It made just $942,302 over the three year period.
The school takes in students from Upper Macdonald, Ten Mile Hollow and down to Wisemans Ferry.
The region’s most expensive school was also Central Coast Grammar School, where the average amount parents had to fork out in fees, charges and contributions in 2017 was $15,427.
The Central Coast Montessori Primary School, in Bateau Bay, had the coast’s second highest average parental contributions with $7355. Next in line was Central Coast Adventist School where the average contribution was $7348.
Region’s richest schools
Central Coast Grammar School: $88.1 million
MacKillop Catholic College: $70.1 million
St Edward’s Christian Brothers: $57.1 million
Wadalba Community School: $54.8 million
Green Point Christian College: $50.9 million
St Peter’s Catholic College: $50.4 million
Lakes Grammar — An Anglican School: $50.1 million
Gorokan High School: $44.2 million
St Joseph’s Catholic College: $43.9 million
Central Coast Adventist School: $42.6 million
Region’s poorest schools
Macdonald Valley Public School: $942,302
Peats Ridge Public School: $1.8 million
Wisemans Ferry Public School: $2.1 million
Somersby Public School: $2.5 million
Central Mangrove Public School: $2.6 million
Kulnura Public School: $2.7 million
Wyong Creek Public School: $2.7 million
Jilliby Public School: $3 million
Pretty Beach Public School: $5.2 million
The Coast Christian School: $5.4 million
Region’s schools that cost parents the most
Central Coast Grammar School: $15,427
The Central Coast Montessori Primary School: $7355
Central Coast Adventist School: $7348
Central Coast Rudolf Steiner School: $6788
Green Point Christian College: $6656
St Edward’s Christian Brothers: $6498
Lakes Grammar — An Anglican School: $5920
International Football and Tennis School: $5567
St Philip’s Christian College — Gosford: $5351
St Joseph’s Catholic College: $5197