MySchool data reveals how much every Tasmanian school is spending on capital works

Is your school cashed up or cash strapped? We reveal how much government funding your child’s school is receiving and how much is being spent on looking after and upgrading facilities.

THE Tasmanian schools raking in the most money are not necessarily those spending the most on new and upgraded facilities, the latest schools’ financial data reveals.

An independent compilation of figures from the MySchool website shows how much Tasmanian schools have spent on capital works for the 2015, 2016 and 2017 financial years.

Three of the top five schools with the highest capital expenditure were government schools.

Topping the list was prestigious independent school Scotch Oakburn College in Newstead, which spent $15.7 million on capital expenditure.

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Over that same three-year period, public school Latrobe High spent $8.8 million and the top spending Catholic school was St Patrick’s College, which spent $8.4 million.

Smithton High School ($7.8 million) and Kings Meadows High School ($7.4 million) rounded out the top five.

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In the North-West, Parklands High School, in Romaine, spent $6.5 million on capital expenditure, more than any other school in the region.

In the South of the state, Guilford Young College, which has campuses in Hobart and Glenorchy, spent $7.2 million on capital expenditure.

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Dominic students Yiannis Nikitaris, 12, Lucas Atkinson, 12, and Anit Saju, 14, with principal Beth Gilligan. Dominic College spent $6.2 million on capital spending over three years. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

Kindergarten to Year 10 Catholic school Dominic College in Glenorchy spent $6.2 million, a large majority of which had gone to the development of creative arts facilities, said principal Beth Gilligan.

“This has been a growth area for us over the last 10 years,” she said.

“In 2015, we developed the black box theatre and then a whole new area of visual and media arts facilities including recording studios and a blue screen area for filming.

“It’s driven by student need, desire and their aspirations. I think the creative and performing arts are much more valued than they were 10 years ago and Tasmania is such a creative state.”

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Ms Gilligan said work would start this month on a new K-2 facility, with learning areas and a before and after school care centre, with a focus on blending indoor and outdoor learning.

“There will be a slide that goes from each classroom from the indoors to outdoors,” Ms Gilligan said.

“The northern suburbs is a growth area and it’s been wonderful for the college to be able to respond to that growth and be able to provide a good quality education and keep it developing and growing.”