2019 Capital Grant Funding Guidelines Endorsed by Commission: 19-02-19 Published: 19-02-19 Introduction 1. The Queensland Catholic Education Commission (QCEC) administers capital funding under the Queensland Government Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) and the Australian Government Capital Grants Program (CGP) to assist non-government school communities to improve capital infrastructure where they do not have the capacity to meet the total cost of the project. 2. In administering these capital funds, QCEC as the Block Grant Authority (BGA) under the CGP must assess the maximum contribution a school and its supporting community can make to the project1. As the Capital Assistance Authority (CAA) under the State CAS, QCEC must determine the school community’s capacity to obtain financial resources for capital projects, including, for example, by donations, fundraising, loans and payment of fees2. 3. The eligibility of projects is a separate process and any grant funding calculated under these guidelines will only apply to eligible project components. 4. With a limited funding pool available, projects are prioritised by the Capital Assistance Assessment Committee. The grant funding calculated by these guidelines is contingent on the project being prioritised for funding. Capacity to contribute 5. The methodology for determining the financial contribution by applicant schools is determined by QCEC with advice from the QCEC Finance Committee. 6. QCEC uses the National School Resourcing Board’s definition of ‘capacity to contribute’, where the capacity to contribute is a function of the school community’s income and wealth, with school community referring to parents and guardians of the students at the school. 7. Parents and guardians have the primary responsibility for selecting a school for their child, and for making a financial contribution towards schooling if the school is in the non-government sector. Parents and guardians must therefore be the central component of a capacity to contribute measure3. Socio-economic status scores 8. Under these guidelines, a school’s socio-economic status (SES) score is used to measure its capacity to contribute to capital costs and to determine the size of the grant for each eligible project. 9. Under section 52 of the Australian Education Act 2013, the Minister determines the SES score for every non-government school, subject to exclusions in subsection 6. 10. The methodology for calculating SES scores is outlined in section 23 of the Australian Education Regulation 2013. The SES score currently applied by the Minister is based on the 2011 Census score however updated scores based on the 2016 Census are available. 1 Capital Grants Program Guidelines 2018, section 59 2 Education (Capital Assistance) Regulation 2015, part 1, section 1(1)(g) 3 National School Resourcing Board: Review of socio-economic status score methodology: Final report, June 2018 p.8. Capital Financial Contributions Guidelines 2019 Page 1 of 5 11. SES scores provide a relative ranking of all non-government schools and are currently based on family and household income, education, and occupation characteristics of the areas in which students at each school reside. This information is used to generate a number representing the SES of one student cohort relative to other cohorts, with 100 being the Australian ‘average’ SES score. 12. As the SES methodology is currently being reviewed which has delayed the introduction of the more current 2016 Census SES scores, QCEC will allocate the lower of the 2011 or 2016 SES score to calculate grant funding for capital projects in 2019. 13. Demonstrated educational need for capital infrastructure remains the primary criteria for prioritising grant funding. 14. The SES score to be used in 2019 for all Catholic schools in Queensland is listed in Appendix A. 15. Where a greenfield new school, that does not have an SES score at the time of applying, is in the same or similar area to an existing school, the SES of the ‘like’ school will be used, until the new school has its own SES score. Capital Financial Contributions Guidelines 2019 Page 2 of 5 Using SES scores to calculate capacity to contribute 16. The Australian Education Act 2013 (section 54) specifies the capacity to contribute percentages that apply to each SES score. Table 1. Capital Grant percentage SES score Primary school Secondary school MISS or SAS 90.00% 90.00% 93 or lower 90.00% 90.00% 94 89.14% 87.81% 95 88.29% 85.62% 96 87.43% 83.44% 97 86.57% 81.25% 98 85.71% 79.06% 99 84.86% 76.87% 100 84.00% 74.69% 101 82.10% 72.50% 102 80.20% 70.31% 103 78.30% 68.12% 104 76.40% 65.94% 105 74.50% 63.75% 106 72.60% 61.56% 107 70.70% 59.37% 108 68.80% 57.19% 109 66.90% 55.00% 110 65.00% 52.81% 111 62.38% 50.62% 112 59.77% 48.44% 113 57.15% 46.25% 114 54.54% 44.06% 115 51.92% 41.87% 116 49.31% 39.69% 117 46.69% 37.50% 118 44.08% 35.31% 119 41.46% 33.12% 120 38.85% 30.94% 121 35.08% 28.75% 122 31.31% 26.56% 123 27.54% 24.37% 124 23.77% 22.19% 125 or higher 20.00% 20.00% 17. The Australian Government uses these percentages to calculate recurrent base funding of non- government schools. Base recurrent funding of 90 per cent is applied for schools with the lowest SES scores. As SES scores increase, the base recurrent funding amount is discounted further. For schools with the highest SES scores, base recurrent funding of 20 per cent is applied. Capital Financial Contributions Guidelines 2019 Page 3 of 5 Using capacity to contribute to calculate grant 18. QCEC uses the same methodology to determine grant funding for capital projects, with a maximum grant rate of 90 per cent of the total project cost provided to schools at SES 93 or lower. The grant rate is reduced to 20 per cent for schools at SES 125 or higher. Figure 1. Proposed % Grant Funding by SES score based on Table 1. % Grant Funding 100% 80% 60% Primary 40% Secondary 20% 0% 93 95 97 99 101 103 105 107 109 111 113 115 117 119 121 123 125 SES Score Primary Secondary 19. The use of SES scores and capacity to contribute percentages provides greater certainty to applicants and ensures fair and consistent grant allocation across all applications. 20. The maximum level of 90% grant funding (plus 100% locality loading) applies to all Special Assistance Schools and Majority Indigenous Student Schools. Locality loading 21. In calculating the total project cost, schools outside of the Brisbane metropolitan area have an allowance for location. The grant funding percentage calculated by these guidelines will apply to the gross project cost with the locality allowance 100% grant funded. Fixed grant 22. Using the above methodology, the grant is calculated at the time of application without provision for subsequent upward revisions. No additional funding is available for project or cost variations or special circumstances. 23. If the approved project tender is lower than the project cost approved by the Minister the level of Government funding is reduced. 24. If the project is completed at a total cost lower than the approved project tender or as approved by the Minister, Government funding is reduced. 25. Catholic School Authorities can appeal QCEC’s decision via the QCEC appeal process. Capital Financial Contributions Guidelines 2019 Page 4 of 5 Process 26. To be considered for capital funding assistance, a Catholic School Authority must submit the capital application by 5pm on 29 March 2019. 27. The financial contribution assessment no longer requires a separate application. The level of grant funding will be calculated based on the SES score in Appendix A and the methodology set out in these guidelines. 28. Future stages of new schools continuing with their staged development will be assessed under these guidelines. Previous stages of these projects will be funded under the previous methodology applicable to the project and based on the percentage contribution related to the stage. Appendix A – SES scores Capital Financial Contributions Guidelines 2019 Page 5 of 5 Campus Name CSA Locality SES 11/16 All Saints Primary School (Albany Creek) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 111 All Saints' School (Boonah) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1.03 89 Aquinas College (Ashmore) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 100 Assisi Catholic College (Upper Coomera) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 101 Carmel College (Thornlands) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 101 Chisholm Catholic College (Cornubia) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 100 Christ the King Catholic Primary School (Deception Bay) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 86 Christ the King School (Graceville) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 120 Clairvaux MacKillop College (Upper Mount Gravatt) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 104 Emmaus College (Jimboomba) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1.01 94 Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School (Springfield Lakes) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 100 Guardian Angels' Catholic Primary School (Ashmore) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 99 Guardian Angels' Primary School (Wynnum) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 103 Holy Cross School (Wooloowin) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 115 Holy Family Primary School (Indooroopilly) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 121 Holy Spirit School (Bray Park) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 97 Holy Spirit School (New Farm) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 120 Immaculate Heart School (Leichhardt) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 187 Jubilee Primary School (Pacific Pines) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 99 Mary Immaculate Primary School (Annerley) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 106 Mary MacKillop College (Nundah) Archdiocese of Brisbane CEO 1 103 Marymount