Central Coast’s richest (and poorest) schools revealed through MySchool data

The coast’s richest “education factories” have raked in more than a billion dollars combined in the past five years, the most recent school funding statistics reveal. See where your school rates.

Dhiviya Rajanala

2 min read

June 25, 2024 - 5:00AM

Central Coast Express Advocate

Central Coast Grammar School has raked in more money in the past five years than any other school in the region by a long way. Picture: File

Schools Hub

Don't miss out on the headlines from Schools Hub. Followed categories will be added to My News.

The Central Coast’s richest schools have become a billion dollar business over the past five years with the tenth highest grossing private school raking in more than the 10 poorest schools combined.

Meanwhile the region’s richest independent education provider — Central Coast Grammar School (CCGS) — has raked in more than $178.5m in five years with the total income per student sitting at $27,884 in 2022, the most recent school funding 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 CCGS at Erina Heights had a higher gross income than any other school in the region.

The school made a gross income of $178.5m, according to financial records from the combined past five years.

Finer things: When it comes to schooling these Kindy kids from CCGS in 2023 will want for nothing. Picture: Sue Graham

The school’s income increased by 20 per cent between 2018 and 2022.

The region’s second richest school was Wadalba Community School, at Wadalba, which had a gross income of $122.7m.

MacKillop Catholic College at Warnervale ranked the third highest grossing school on the coast. Picture: MacKillop Catholic College

Its total gross income per student in 2022 was $16,927.

The school with the third highest gross income was MacKillop Catholic College, a Warnervale, which made $121.9m.

Its total gross income per student in 2022 was $18,010.

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 2018 to 2022.

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

Holgate Public School ranked the tenth poorest with $10.8m over five years.

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.

Peats Ridge Public School near Central Mangrove had the lowest gross income of any school in the Central Coast region.

Central Coast Montessori Primary School, at Bateau Bay, managed to scrape by with just $5.2m over five years. Picture: Peter Clark

It made just $3.2m over the five year period.

Its total gross income increased by four per cent from 2018 to 2022 while the total gross income per student in 2022 was $43,034.

Kulnura Public School at Kulnura had the second lowest gross income of any school in the Central Coast region.

It made just $4.5m over the five year period.

Its total gross income increased by five per cent from 2018 to 2022 while the total gross income per student in 2022 was $34,817.

Central Mangrove Public School had the third lowest gross income of any school in the Central Coast region.

It made just $4.6m over the five year period.

Its total gross income increased by seven per cent from 2018 to 2022 while the total gross income per student in 2022 was $25,601.

The divide between the have’s and have-not’s has become so vast the tenth richest school — St Peters Catholic College at Tuggerah — has earned more in the past five years with $84.1m than the poorest 10 schools combined at $64.2m.