Southwest Sydney school income: Richest and poorest schools revealed
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 others do.
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Southwest Sydney’s richest school rakes in more than $93.9 million in three years and parents wanting to send their kids to the region’s most expensive school have to fork out $17,826, tightly held school statistics reveal.
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 Malek Fahd Islamic School in Greenacre had a higher gross income than any other school in the southwest Sydney region.
The school made a gross income of $93.9 million, according to financial records from the three most recently available years.
The region’s second richest school was Thomas Hassall Anglican College, in Middleton Grange, which had a gross income of $91 million.
The school with the third highest gross income was Amity College, Prestons, in Greenacre, which made $80 million.
The figures include all fees, charges and parental contributions as well as State and Federal Government funding and any other private sources over the 2015, 2016 and 2017 years.
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 2015, 2016 or 2017.
Ashcroft mum Kim Kamara said she was happy to pay the fees for her 13-year-old daughter Destiny, a discus thrower, to attend Westfields Sports High in Fairfield West.
Ms Kamara said she felt “blessed” to live in a region with a school that specialised in sports but also prioritised academic performance and will be sending her three younger children there in the future.
“I’m very strict with the kids’ education. I want them to have a good education, but I think sport is important too,” she said.
“I’m just blessed that we live close to Westfield Sports High and that the programs are on offer not at high prices. If the fees were really high and not subsidised by the government … my kids wouldn’t have the opportunity.
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“From what I see, I think that the school actually needs more help with the funding just because it’s so important to give this type of education and sports to our athletes.”
Ms Kamara said there were insufficient facilities for the large student population, adding she would welcome a school dedicated to sports students.
According to the data, Southern Cross Baptist Church Christian School had the lowest gross income of any school in the southwest Sydney region. It made just $1.1 million over the three year period.
The region’s school most expensive school was Danebank — An Anglican School For Girls in Hurstville where the average amount parents had to fork out in fees, charges and contributions in 2017 was $17,826.
Inaburra School, in Bangor, had the southwest Sydney region’s second highest average parental contributions with $13,920.
The school with the third highest parental contributions was Macarthur Anglican School, in Macarthur Anglican School, where the average contribution was $12,036.
REGION’S RICHEST SCHOOLS
MFIS: $93.9 million
Thomas Hassall Anglican College: $91 million
Amity College, Prestons: $80 million
Danebank — An Anglican School For Girls: $74.6 million
Al Noori Muslim School: $68.1 million
Westfields Sports High School: $67 million
Inaburra School: $64.2 million
William Carey Christian School: $63.9 million
Cabramatta High School: $63.4 million
St Gregory’s College Campbelltown: $62.1 million
REGION’S POOREST SCHOOLS
Southern Cross Baptist Church Christian School: $1.1 million
St Dominic Savio School: $1.2 million
Kingdom Culture Christian School: $1.3 million
Mount Hunter Public School: $1.9 million
Waterfall Public School: $2 million
Yanderra Public School: $2.2 million
Southside Montessori School: $2.6 million
Bardwell Park Infants School: $2.7 million
Kyeemagh Infants School: $2.7 million
Hurstville Grove Infants School: $2.8 million
REGION’S SCHOOLS COSTING PARENTS THE MOST
Danebank — An Anglican School For Girls: $17,826
Inaburra School: $13,920
Macarthur Anglican School: $12,036
Sydney Montessori School: $10,833
St George Christian School: $10,291
Southside Montessori School: $10,066
Pal Buddhist School: $9259
All Saints Grammar: $8554
St Gregory’s College Campbelltown: $7954
Georges River Grammar: $7611