Victorian private school principal and leadership team salaries revealed

A new batch of private school salary data has been released, revealing which top principals and leadership teams have scored a pay rise and who has suffered a cut.

A new batch of private school principal and leadership team salaries can be revealed.

The federal financial reports for 2023 which independent schools are required to submit show a range of Catholic and independent schools spend up to $4m on salaries for their top staff.

More schools will post their reports over the next few months, but the Herald Sun has delved into the first reports to find which school leader salaries are going up and which are going down.

Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School

The large Essendon co-ed school, led by principal Kate Dullard, did not disclose its senior management payments in 2022.

However, new figures reveal that in 2023 the school had 24 key managers paid a total of $3,994,323 — an average of $166,430 each.

This is one of the largest senior staff clusters in any Victorian private school.

The school has more than 2800 students and 434 staff and in 2023 earned a total revenue of $78m and posted a surplus of $972,000.

Its total assets are $120m.

More than 20 key managers shared $4m in pay at Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School. Picture: Mark Stewart

Goulburn Valley Grammar

The leading regional school, headed by Mark Torriero, in 2023 employed nine senior leaders who together shared $1.8m, which averages out to $201,551 each.

In 2022, the school employed nine staff earning a total of $1,741,828, which averages out to $193,536 a year.

This represents a pay rise of 4 per cent.

In 2023 the school employed 68 full time people and 39 part time.

It had a total income of $20m and a surplus of $1.8m.

Salesian College Chadstone

The eastern suburbs’ Catholic boys’ school, headed by Mark Ashmore, has eight key managers who together are paid $1.3m.

This averages out to $169,520 a year.

In 2022, in comparison, the school paid six managers a total of $1,198,386 — an average of $199,731.

It’s one of the few schools paying lower average leader salaries in 2023 than the year before.

The school earned a total income of $24m and posted a surplus of $463,000.

Salesian College Chadstone was one of the few schools where leadership pay fell. Picture: Supplied

Our Lady of Sion

The popular Box Hill Catholic girls’ school led by Tina Apostolopoulos, paid three executives a total of $596,623 in 2023 — an average of $198,874.

This is a slight increase on the three staff who together shared $586,975 in 2022, which is $195,658 on average.

It represents a rise of 1.6 per cent, well below inflation.

In 2023, the school attracted total revenue of $21m and posted a $774,000 surplus.

Peninsula Grammar

Formerly known as The Peninsula School, Peninsula Grammar is an independent coeducational Anglican school in Mount Eliza led by outgoing principal Stuart Johnston.

In 2023, the school paid four senior staffers a total of $1,543,307 — an average of $385,826 each.

In comparison, in 2022 the school had five leaders sharing $1.67m – an average of $334,000 each.

This is up from the $1.36m senior wages bill in 2021.

The school, spread on lush grounds on the Mornington Peninsula, has total assets of $182m and a total revenue of $51m and posted a surplus of $2.8m.

Its executive wages bill has increased 13.4 per cent in the past three years.

Four Peninsula Grammar leaders collected $1.67m in pay in 2023. Picture: Supplied

Southern Cross Grammar

The successful Caroline Springs coeducational school led by Matt Dodd in 2023 employed five senior leaders who together earned a total of $1,219,331.

This is an average of $243,866 each.

It compares to the four leaders who shared $1,013,012 in 2022 and who each earned on average $253,253 — a decrease of 3.8 per cent.

The school in 2023 earned $20m in total revenue and posted a surplus of $258,000.

Eltham College

The large Eltham co-ed school, which has a new principal and chief executive, Richard Lisle, paid nine senior managers a total of $2,011,265 in 2023.

This averages out to $223,473 each.

In 2022 the school paid eight staff members $1,920,818, which averaged out to $240,000 each.

This means average executive salaries went down by 7 per cent in 2023.

The school in 2023 had a total revenue of $24m and posted a loss of $1,780,844.