Grants and allowances > Non-state schools >

State Recurrent Grant

Purpose

This grant provides state government funds to assist eligible non-state schools in meeting recurrent costs.

Expenditure guidelines

The governing body of a non-state school may use funds provided only for teaching and general staff salaries, professional development, curriculum development and implementation, maintenance and general operations.

The governing body must provide acquittal details of the funds to the Non-State Schools Accreditation Board on an annual basis. Failure to provide acquittal details is a ground for cessation of payments.

Duration of program

Ongoing

Policy reference

Primary and secondary schools

Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2001
Chapter 13, Parts 1 to 4 of the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006

Eligibility

Non-state schools which have been granted eligibility for government funding status for an aspect of the operation of the school under the Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2001

Enrolments

Funded enrolments counted in the February School Survey Data Collection, including students eligible for Preparatory Year Funding.

Form of assistance

Formula-generated cash grant

Payment details

Payment details for State Recurrent Grant
Payment	Target date for payment	Proportion of allocation paid	Enrolments
1	9 January	3/12 of estimated annual allocation	Funded enrolments counted in the February Survey Data Collection of the previous year
2	29 May	6/12 of annual allocation less January payment	Funded enrolments counted in February Survey Data Collection of the current year
3	19 June	Share of residual funds for the financial year	Funded enrolments counted in February Survey Data Collection of the current year
4	9 July	3/12 of annual allocation	Funded enrolments counted in February Survey Data Collection of the current year
5	7 September	3/12 of annual allocation	Funded enrolments counted in February Survey Data Collection of the current year

Allocation of funds

Each school's allocation for a school calendar year can be determined, for each of the primary and secondary sectors of the school, by multiplying funded enrolments as at the end of February by the advised per student funding rate for the particular year.

Each school's rate comprises a set base component that is common for all schools (see below) and a needs component. The needs-based component is determined according to the school's School Resource Index (SRI), Commonwealth SES score, school isolation and the number of students with disabilities, English as a second language, from isolated areas, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and recipients of boarding fee concessions. Seventy-five per cent of needs funds are distributed using the SRI and SES score, 20% using the student needs data and 5% using the School Isolation Index.

The per student funding rates for the following calendar year are determined and advised to each school following finalisation of the State Budget each year.

Current rates

Overall per student funding rates 563k, comprising base and needs components, are particular to each school.

The common per student base component rates are as follows:

Current rates for State Recurrent Grant
Type of school	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Primary (includes Preparatory)	$1055	$1055	$1055	$1055	$1055	$1055
Secondary	$1583	$1583	$1583	$1583	$1583	$1583

New opening non-state schools are funded in the first year of operation at the New Schools per student rates - made up of the common base component rates and the needs component rates determined for an 'average needs' school. The New Schools per student rates are:

Current rates for State Recurrent Grant - new schools
Type of school	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Primary (includes preparatory)	$1368	$1381	$1423	$1528	$1684	$1515
Secondary	$2052	$2072	$2135	$2292	$2527	$2273

Total annual payments to non-state schools are reported each year in the departmental Annual Report.

Data requirements

Enrolment and needs details for each school are collected by the Non-State Schools Accreditation Board through the State Survey Data Collection for Non-State Schools conducted in February each year.

Data requirements for State Recurrent Grant
Data required	Data source	Time collected
Student enrolment counts by year level	State Survey Data Collection for Non-State Schools	February
School Resource Index	Department of Education, Training and Employment	June
SES Score	Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations	When available
Needs elements	State Survey Data Collection for Non-State Schools	February
Eligibility for Government funding status	Centre Information System (CIS) field maintained by School Financial Services	At the time of each payment

Contact

School Financial Services
Telephone: (07) 3237 0774
Facsimile: (07) 3237 1187

For information concerning the Commonwealth General Recurrent Grants, schools should consult the Quadrennial Administrative Guidelines 2009-2012 or School Funding and Grants .

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