REVEALED: The Coast’s richest and poorest schools
The principal of the Sunshine Coast’s poorest school has revealed the secret to their success despite earning the lowest income in the region.
Sunshine Coast
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THE principal of the Sunshine Coast's poorest school has revealed the secret to their success despite earning the lowest income in the region.
An independent analysis of school financial records from the MySchool website has shown the massive amount of money some schools make every year, and how little on which some schools scrape by.
The figures revealed Eudlo State School had the lowest gross income of any school on the Sunshine Coast, making just $2.9 million over the three year period.
Principal Ruth Machen said "no school would turn down more money", yet didn't feel the students were missing out on a quality education.
"It's a very well funded school in terms of technology and staff," she said.
"We have a small school and a small team of staff but that means we have less turnover.
"Compared to other schools I've been in, it's a very well resourced school."
She said an active Parents and Citizens Association was vital in fundraising for the school's facilities and various programs.
"We definitely rely on the P and C to provide those extra things, but the P and C in our school community are so active and generous," she said.
"They've just been amazing."
Above all, Ms Machen said the school's staff was the bedrock of their success.
"Our teachers and teacher aides are really outstanding," she said.
"Their knowledge of child development is amazing.
"You can be in the flashiest classrooms with everyone having a computer, but it's the connections those teachers make with the child that count.
"They're really good people with their hearts in the right place, who know kids and know education so well.
"They have that balance of a nurturing environment while striving for success."
At the other end of the funding spectrum, the Sunshine Coast's richest school raked in more than $99.7 million in three years.
Chancellor State College in Sippy Downs had a higher gross income than any other school in the Sunshine Coast region, according to financial records from the three most recently available years.
The region's second richest school was Matthew Flinders Anglican College, in Buderim, which had a gross income of $93.3 million.
The school with the third highest gross income was Meridan State College, in Sippy Downs, which made $91.9 million.
The figures included 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.
They did not include any deductions for capital works or debt servicing.
The analysis did not include special schools or schools that did not have complete financial data in MySchool for one or more of 2015, 2016 or 2017.
Meanwhile, the region's school most expensive school was Matthew Flinders Anglican College in Buderim where the average amount parents had to fork out in fees, charges and contributions in 2017 was $14,547.
Sunshine Coast Grammar School, in Forest Glen, had the Sunshine Coast region's second highest average parental contributions with $12,364.
The school with the third highest parental contributions was St Andrew's Anglican College, in Peregian Springs, where the average contribution was $12,343.
Region's richest schools
Chancellor State College: $99.7 million
Matthew Flinders Anglican College: $93.3 million
Meridan State College: $91.9 million
St Andrew's Anglican College: $82.5 million
Sunshine Coast Grammar School: $79.4 million
Mountain Creek State High School: $77.3 million
Nambour State College: $64.9 million
Kawana Waters State College: $63.1 million
Unity College: $61.2 million
Noosa District State High School: $57.6 million
Region's poorest schools
Eudlo State School: $2.9 million
Kenilworth State Community College: $3.1 million
Federal State School: $3.5 million
Conondale State School: $3.7 million
Blackall Range Independent School: $3.9 million
Beerburrum State School: $4.7 million
Mount Kilcoy State School: $4.8 million
Montville State School: $4 million
Cooran State School: $5.7 million
Mapleton State School: $7.3 million
Region's schools that cost parents the most
Matthew Flinders Anglican College: $14,547
Sunshine Coast Grammar School: $12,364
St Andrew's Anglican College: $12,343
Immanuel Lutheran College: $9935
Caloundra City Private School: $8645
Montessori International College: $8270
Good Shepherd Lutheran College: $7416
Peregian Beach College: $6955
Pacific Lutheran College: $6716
The River School: $6588