Melbourne private schools: Senior management salaries revealed

Victorian independent and Catholic schools are spending millions of dollars on senior management salaries with financial reports on some of the best institutions released.

Camberwell Girls Grammar management earn an average of $245k. Picture: Luis Enrique Ascui

Private schools are spending millions on senior manager salaries, the Herald Sun can reveal.

For the first time ever, the budget allocated to the senior staff of Victoria’s private schools can be disclosed.

Financial reports which schools are legally required to submit show a range of Catholic and independent schools spending up to $2m combined on salaries for their top staff.

More schools will lodge their reports over time, but the initial tranche shows Camberwell Girls Grammar has an average senior leadership salary of $245,000 while at Our Lady of Sion in Box Hill the average is $195,000 and $171,000 at Heathdale Christian College.

The data doesn’t show principal salaries, which can reach packages of more than $750,000 and one million for the top schools. Smaller schools pay around $300,000. It comes as state school principals in Victoria will reach $238,000 by 2025.

The disclosures come amid the state government’s controversial payroll tax, which is expected to lead to schools with average fees of more than $10,000 pay between $800,000 and $7m in taxes from mid next year.

The figures show schools such as Marcellin College, which posted a deficit in 2022, would be subject to the tax.

The details are yet to be finalised.

Camberwell Girls Grammar

Camberwell Girls Grammar principal Debbie Dunwoody.

Six senior leaders are sharing in $1.477m at this leading independent girls’ school in the leafy east. The school’s management team includes principal Debbie Dunwoody, deputy principal Davina McClure, head of senior school Kath Woolcock and Kate Giles, head of middle school.

The financial report shows the school had a total gross income in 2022 of $28m and total expenses of $26m, including $17m spent on employees. The school has total assets of $128m, including the value of its Canterbury campus. Its $34,000 year 12 fees means it would be subject to the payroll tax.

Lavalla Catholic College

The Marist Catholic school in Traralgon has eight people sharing $1.4m, led by principal Ryan Greer. The two deputy principals are Doug Doherty and Brett Van Berkel.

The financial report shows the school had a total gross income in 2022 of $25m and total expenses of $26m, leading to a deficit of $806,000. Salaries amounted to $18m. The school would be exempt from the payroll tax.

Our Lady of Sion

Our Lady of Sion principal Tina Apostolopoulos.

The Catholic secondary school for girls based in Box Hill has three leaders sharing $586,000. The school is led by principal Tina Apostolopoulos who has been a tireless proponent of girls’ education. The school had a total revenue of $19m and expenses of $18m in 2022. Employee expenses were $13m and the surplus was $1.6m.

The school has fees of just over $11,000, putting it in the firing line of the government’s amended payroll tax.

Goulburn Valley Grammar

The Shepparton non-denominational co-ed school has nine school leaders sharing $1.7m. Its senior leadership team is led by Mark Torriero, principal, along with deputy principal Leon McLeod and director of students Trish Lawless. The school’s total gross income was $18m and expenses $17m, leading to surplus of $1.4m.

The school charges fees of up to $17,000 and would be subject to the payroll tax.

Alphington Grammar

The Alphington Grammar leadership team.

The co-educational school located on the banks of the Darebin Creek has four senior managers sharing in $1m. The leadership team is headed by principal Dr Vivianne Nikou, assistant principals Lukas Silver and Tracey Nicholson and business manager Pippa Birch.

In 2022 the school had an income of $15.4m and expenses of $14.6m, leaving it with a slim surplus of $800,000. The school charges fees of up to $19,000 in year 12, meaning it would be subject to the payroll tax.

Waverley Christian College

Waverley Christian College principal Peter Sheahan.

The co-educational independent school in Wantirna South and Narre Warren South has 11 people sharing in $2.1m.

The leadership team is headed up by principal Peter Sheahan and deputy Rod Ramsay. In 2022 the school had a gross income of $47m, including $24m from government grants. It made a surplus of $7.5m. Tuition fees of up to $11,800 in year 12 may make it subject to the payroll tax.

St Michael’s Grammar

St Michael's principal Gerard Houlihan.

The independent co-ed Anglican school in St Kilda is headed by Gerard Houlihan, the principal, along with Nicole Armatas and Emma McDonald as deputy heads.

The school’s senior managers are together paid $1.7m, but the report and the school declined to say how many people this includes. The school has a total income of $45m, expenses of $43m and a surplus of $2.2m. The school’s fees reach $35,000 by year 12, meaning it would be subject to the payroll tax.

Heathdale Christian College

The Werribee independent non-denominational school has seven school leaders sharing $1.2m. The school’s leadership team is headed up by executive principal Ross Grace, along with principals Christopher Prior, Yvonne Harvey and Deborah Letcher. The school had a gross income in 2022 of $40m and expenses of $37.9m, leading to a surplus of $2.3m. The school’s fees reach $11,399 by year 12, but its average fee is likely to put it just outside of the payroll tax threshold.

Marcellin College

Marcellin College principal Marco Di Cesare.

The Bulleen Catholic boys’ school has seven senior managers paid $1.28m. The leadership team is headed by Marco Di Cesare, the principal, along with deputy principals Nicholas Moloney, Suzanne Farley and Geralyn McCarthy. The school had an income in 2022 of $30m and total expenses of just over $30m, leading to a deficit of $118,000. Mr Di Cesare has spoken recently against the payroll tax given that the school is likely to be just inside the threshold, with fees in year 12 of $14,000.

Assumption College

Assumption College principal Kate Fogarty.

The Kilmore Catholic school has eight leaders sharing $1.6m. The senior management team is led by Kate Fogarty, the principal. The total gross income for 2022 was $35m and expenses $32m, leading to a surplus of $3.5m. Its annual fees of $9000 are unlikely to make it subject to the payroll tax.