Catholic School Funding - 2016
Catholic School Funding - 2016 • Catholic schools receive funding from three sources; • Commonwealth Government funding, referred to as the Australian Government Recurrent Funding or AGRF. • State Government funding • School Fees (now referred to as parents “Capacity To Contribute” or CTC. • In 2013, Catholic Education Commission (CECWA) commissioned a working party into the new distribution of the AGRF, which amounts to about 50% of funding for a Catholic school. • In June 2015, CECWA approved the new Funding Allocation Model based upon a student centred, per capita cost approach with funds distributed according to a Base and Loadings distribution model. (this model is shown on upcoming slide)
Catholic School Funding 2016 Base allocation – each school receives a base amount made up of both Federal and State Government funding, as well as component of Private Income (parent fees) according to community’s capacity to contribute. In addition to any base funding received, loading is apportioned according to; Low SES Loading – helps schools address the learning of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Low English Proficiency Loading – helps schools address the learning needs of students for whom English is not their first language. Applicable only to less than a handful of schools usually with ESL Centre attached. Location Loading – assists geographically isolated schools meet higher operating costs associated. Size Loading – targets smaller schools to help meet general operating fixed costs. Students With Disability (SWD) Loading – helps meet increased cost of catering for students with disability in a mainstream environment. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) Loading.
Catholic School Funding 2016 •
Capacity To Contribute (CTC) varies between each school based on the information available to Catholic Education from two sources; § Australian Bureau of Statistics through the National Census which provides a “score” or Socio Economic Status (SES) for each postcode around Australia. § Data collected from parents upon entry into Catholic school – Data Collection Form, the premise used is that the higher the level of parental qualifications gained, the country of origin and languages spoken at home, plus the current parent occupation, all add to the profile of that school.
§ Funding for schools (from AGRF) is then determined, in part, on the above. § Assuming the average SES is100, Orana’s SES is currently 110. Funding through AGRF is provided at a level which starts to decrease as the SES increases, the assumption being that the higher the SES, the greater the ability of that population as a whole to contribute more by way of school fees – the CTC component. § The above is primarily why Catholic schools in different locations have different fee amounts.
State Government Funding 2016 •
State Government funding for schools comes through a model that is based on; • Per Capita Funding • Students with Disabilities (SWD) Funding
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The budget for 2016 has assumed no increase in State Government Recurrent Funding.
•
Most schools in the Catholic Education System currently receive per capita funding at: Primary
$2,114/student.
Secondary
$4,970/student.
Fees for 2016 Fee increases will be determined by: § Actual increase in 2016 Australian Government Recurrent Funding (AGRF) under the new funding model. § Assumption of a zero increase in State funding. § The anticipated increase in school costs by a cost index (3% for 2016). § Catholic Education direction as to % increase required to meet the above. § School Board will need to increase fees by 9% for 2016 school year.
Catholic School Funding 2016 Base allocation – each school receives a base amount made up of both Federal and State Government funding, as well as component of Private Income (parent fees) according to community’s capacity to contribute. In addition to any base funding received, loading is apportioned according to; Low SES Loading – helps schools address the learning of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Low English Proficiency Loading – helps schools address the learning needs of students for whom English is not their first language. Applicable only to less than a handful of schools usually with ESL Centre attached. Location Loading – assists geographically isolated schools meet higher operating costs associated. Size Loading – targets smaller schools to help meet general operating fixed costs. Students With Disability (SWD) Loading – helps meet increased cost of catering for students with disability in a mainstream environment. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) Loading.
Catholic School Funding 2016 •
Capacity To Contribute (CTC) varies between each school based on the information available to Catholic Education from two sources; § Australian Bureau of Statistics through the National Census which provides a “score” or Socio Economic Status (SES) for each postcode around Australia. § Data collected from parents upon entry into Catholic school – Data Collection Form, the premise used is that the higher the level of parental qualifications gained, the country of origin and languages spoken at home, plus the current parent occupation, all add to the profile of that school.
§ Funding for schools (from AGRF) is then determined, in part, on the above. § Assuming the average SES is100, Orana’s SES is currently 110. Funding through AGRF is provided at a level which starts to decrease as the SES increases, the assumption being that the higher the SES, the greater the ability of that population as a whole to contribute more by way of school fees – the CTC component. § The above is primarily why Catholic schools in different locations have different fee amounts.
State Government Funding 2016 •
State Government funding for schools comes through a model that is based on; • Per Capita Funding • Students with Disabilities (SWD) Funding
•
The budget for 2016 has assumed no increase in State Government Recurrent Funding.
•
Most schools in the Catholic Education System currently receive per capita funding at: Primary
$2,114/student.
Secondary
$4,970/student.
Fees for 2016 Fee increases will be determined by: § Actual increase in 2016 Australian Government Recurrent Funding (AGRF) under the new funding model. § Assumption of a zero increase in State funding. § The anticipated increase in school costs by a cost index (3% for 2016). § Catholic Education direction as to % increase required to meet the above. § School Board will need to increase fees by 9% for 2016 school year.
