Western Sydney: How your school’s funding stacks up
Find out which schools in western Sydney received the most funding and which schools are spending the most. See how your child’s school compares here.
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One western Sydney school received more than $73.7 million in State and Federal Government money in three years — giving it the highest funding in the region.
The massive amount of money some schools have received from governments can be revealed after an independent compilation of figures from the MySchool website.
Al-Faisal College, in Auburn, received more money from government coffers than any other school in the region, receiving $73.7 million over the three most recently available years.
Cherrybrook Technology High School, Cherrybrook, received the second highest amount of state and federal government funding with $64.7 million.
Glenwood High School in Glenwood was the third highest in the region receiving $64.7 million over the three year period.
The figures reveal exactly how much money every school has received from government funding over 2015, 2016 and 2017 calendar years and how much money has been spent on capital projects over the 2015, 2016 and 2017 financial years.
Glenwood High School is a public-private partnership (PPP) school and is under an alternative funding model.
Parent Reema Randhawa said she was pleased to send her 14-year-old daughter to the well-resourced school, where she was performing well academically.
“We are very happy there. It’s a very supportive environment with approachable teachers and very helpful and encouraging for the students,” Ms Randhawa said.
“My daughter has been there since year 7 in the gifted and talented class. I assume only a few schools provide that class in western Sydney.
“She is excelling and very strong in mathematics. Because of the support provided by the teachers and the feedback provided to the parents she has done so well over the three years she has been going there,”
Black Springs Public School in Black Springs received the most government funding per student of any school in the Western Sydney region. The school, which had 10 students in 2017, received $38,163 in government funding for each child.
Megalong Public School in Megalong Valley received $32,582 for each of its 10 students in 2017, the Western Sydney region’s second highest funding per student.
Labor’s education spokeswoman Prue Car said parents had a right to be concerned about school funding.
“The figures don’t even show how bad it is at a lot of these schools,” Ms Car said.
“It may look like a lot of money, but the actual experience of children in schools in western Sydney is, they’re overcrowded, they can’t get airconditioning and they can’t get the needs-based funding they deserve in the fastest growing areas in the country.
“In western Sydney, it is particularly urgent for us.”
Vineyard Public School in Sydney’s west received under $2 million in funding over the three years.
Vineyard Public School P & C president Laticia Hignett said the small school, with less than 50 students, punched above its weight, despite limited funds.
“For a little school with little funding, we do a fantastic job to make sure the kids have the same opportunity as what they would at a larger school,” Ms Hignett said.
“The teachers are fantastic they go above and beyond what they’re meant to do.”
She said what the school lacked in income, the community made up for through fundraising.
In regards to school spending, over the 2015, 2016 and 2017 financial years, Arthur Phillip High School, in Parramatta, spent $35.3 million on capital expenditure, more than any other school in the Western Sydney region.
Over that same three year period Meadowbank Education Trust School spent $27.1 million on capital expenditure, the region’s second highest.
Mount St Benedict College spent $20.4 million on capital expenditure over that period, the third highest in the Western Sydney region.
MOST FUNDING
Al-Faisal College: $73.7 million
Cherrybrook Technology High School: $64.7 million
Glenwood High School: $51.9 million
Arthur Phillip High School: $51.3 million
Castle Hill High School: $50.7 million
Oakhill College Castle Hill: $49.6 million
Chester Hill High School: $49.2 million
Trinity Catholic College: $47.9 million
Baulkham Hills High School: $45.8 million
William Clarke College: $44.2 million
LEAST FUNDING
Megalong Public School: $1 million
Black Springs Public School: $1.1 million
Middle Dural Public School: $1.6 million
Hawkesbury Independent School: $1.7 million
Hillside Public School: $1.8 million
Vineyard Public School: $1.8 million
Maroota Public School: $2 million
Colo Heights Public School: $2.1 million
Westmead Christian Grammar School: $2.2 million
Cattai Public School: $2.3 million
HIGHEST CAPITAL EXPENDITURE
Arthur Phillip High School: $35.3 million
Meadowbank Education Trust School: $27.1 million
Mount St Benedict College: $20.4 million
Al-Faisal College: $15.4 million
The King’s School: $15.3 million
Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta: $15.1 million
Richard Johnson Anglican School: $11 million
Pacific Hills Christian School: $11.6 million
William Clarke College: $10.8 million
St Michael’s Primary School: $10.5 million