Purpose
To assist schools in meeting recurrent operating costs.
This includes assistance to Queensland Children's Hospital School in meeting costs associated with new and established hospital education programs.
Duration of program
Ongoing
Eligibility
State school, state high school, campus, state special school, centre for continuing secondary education, community school, detention centres and Queensland Children's Hospital schools.
Schools of distance education and outdoor and environmental education centres receive operational cost support under separate profiles.
Allocation of funds
State schools (primary, secondary, campuses, community)
Prep to Year 6 formula (annual entitlement calculation):
- [Base 1 + (per student rate x enrolment)] x School Appropriation Index + Base 2 + Low Socio-Economic Status (SES) school (if eligible).
Years 7 to Year 12 formula (annual entitlement calculation):
- [Base 1 + (enrolment up to 300 x 1st 300 rate) + (enrolment in excess of 300 x 300 plus rate) + (enrolment in years 10–12 x years 10–12 rate)] x School Appropriation Index + Base 2 + Low SES school (if eligible).
Continuing centres of secondary education (CCSE) – Eagleby Learning Centre to receive $63,000 per annum under this appropriation.
Queensland Pathways State College (3036) receives $38,000 per campus in February for operating costs.
The 9 campuses will also receive the calculation of the school appropriation based on census data within the quarterly school appropriation timelines. The host centre (3036) will receive no further funding for school appropriation during the year.
Special schools
Prep to Year 10 formula (annual entitlement calculation):
- [Base 1 + (professional staff rate x number of professional staff)] x School Appropriation Index + Base 2 + Low SES school (if eligible).
Prep to Year 12 formula (annual entitlement calculation):
- [Base 1 + (professional staff rate x number of professional staff) + (per student rate x no of students in 10–12)] x School Appropriation Index + Base 2 + Low SES school (if eligible).
- For the purposes of calculating the special school payment, professional staff are defined as those staff allocated to a special school through the students with disabilities or Whole School Support—Student Learning Resource (WSS-SLR) models. The following are considered professional staff: principals, deputies, teachers and education program officers.
- The above allocations are cumulative. Any establishment with multiple categories receives the allocation for each approved category at the host site, e.g. a Prep to 12 school would receive an allocation for years Prep to 6 and an allocation for years 7–12.
Exceptions:
- Maryborough Special School (3017) for $1,010 per annum for the Kay Haas Memorial Cycle Track.
- Barrett Adolescent Centre Special School (3056) will receive a one-off payment of $120,000 in 2025 to assist with their school refurbishment and renaming.
Detention centres
The detention centre school appropriation is calculated as part of the WSS-SLR model.
The formula is: (($80,000 + (enrolments x $2,300)) x 1.2) = school appropriation.
The school's enrolments for the purposes of the model is based upon average enrolment data provided to Workforce Resourcing, HR by the schools in early Term 4 each year. Due to the unique nature of these locations, it is not possible to use normal census enrolment figures.
Queensland Children’s Hospital School
Funds will be paid to Queensland Children’s Hospital School to financially support all hospital education programs. The allocation has been determined based on a cost analysis to operate all hospital education programs. This methodology has been originally approved for 5 years from 2020 to 2024 and will be extended into 2025 without change.
- 2020—$1,033,500
- 2021—$1,054,200
- 2022—$1,075,300
- 2023—$1,096,800
- 2024—$1,118,700
- 2025—$1,118,700
From 2024, additional funding of $310,000 was provided to Queensland Children's Hospital School for project staffing resources to open new hospital education programs.
Big Red Truck—Outback College of Hospitality Trade Training Centre
The fixed budget of this appropriation is $60,000 per annum from 2019 to 2032 (10 year extension from 2022).
As part of an election commitment, the department provides this appropriation as an in-kind contribution towards the operational costs (registration and insurance) associated with the program. As Longreach State High School is the host school for the Big Red Truck and responsible for maintaining the budget, they are the only school that will receive funding under this appropriation.
The schools that participate in the Big Red Truck program self-fund the remaining ongoing costs, some of which are offset by hiring revenue.
Current rates
State primary school
(Prep to Year 6) | Base 1: $11,080
Base 2: $10,000 | $100.50 | N/A | $3,000 |
State primary school with Pre-Prep Program
(Pre-Prep to Year 6) | Base 1: $12,080
Base 2: $10,000 | $100.50 | N/A | $3,000 |
| State high school and secondary department/campus | Base 1: $20,160
Base 2: $10,000 | $156 up to 300 students then $101 per additional student
$50 per student in Years 10–12 | N/A | $3,000 |
Special school
(Prep to Year 10) | Base 1: $4,230
Base 2: $10,000 | N/A | $3,000 | $3,000 |
Special school
(Prep to Year 12) | Base 1: $6,230
Base 2: $10,000 | $50 per student in Years 10–12 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
Note: All rates above are per annum.
Payment details—enrolment based
| Semester 1 payment 1 | February | 75% of estimated Semester 1 allocation | July census previous year |
| Semester 1 payment 2 | April | Balance of actual Semester 1 allocation | February census |
| Semester 2 payment 1 | July | 75% of estimated Semester 2 allocation | February census |
| Semester 2 payment 2 | October | Balance of actual Semester 2 allocation | July census |
Payment details—non enrolment based
Detention centre
| Semester 1 | February | 100% of allocation |
Detention centre
| Semester 2 | July | 100% of allocation |
| Queensland Children’s Hospital School | Semester 1 | February | 50%
|
| Queensland Children’s Hospital School | Semester 2 | July | 50% |
| Queensland Children’s Hospital School | Project staffing resources | March | 100%
|
Data requirements
| Enrolments | Performance Monitoring and Reporting | February, July |
| School Appropriation Index | Centre Information System (CIS) | As required |
| Professional staff numbers | Specialist support staff collection spreadsheet | April, October |
| Low SES school | CIS | February |
How to apply
Schools do not need to apply for this funding. Entitlements will be calculated and paid automatically each period by Finance Branch.
Further information
Contact
Policy Enquiry
Schools and Student Support
Phone: (07) 3513 5845
Email:
ED.SIG@qed.qld.gov.au
Payment Enquiry
School Financial Resourcing
Phone: (07) 3034 5817
Email:
SFR.Finance@qed.qld.gov.au
Manager
Facilities Management Services
Phone: (07) 3034 4570