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The Guardian
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
‘Cruel joke': tax concession drives donations to Australia's richest private schools and must stop, critics argue
The Albanese government has been urged to end an 'outrageous' and 'cruel joke' that incentivises donations to Australia's richest private schools in return for a tax deduction. But the peak body for independent schools says the criticism is overblown and that tax-deductibility is 'essential' to build campus infrastructure, with 95% of capital expenditure funded through parent contributions, fundraising, loans and philanthropy. Analysis of federal government data by the campaign group Save Our Schools has found that more than $106m was donated to 60 private schools in 2023. Some of these donations were considered tax deductible gifts to charities, provided the money was designated for campus buildings. Some tax experts and analysts believe this concession – which is not extended to all charities and has been criticised by the Productivity Commission – has exacerbated inequality in the education system and added to the largesse of exclusive schools. The analysis revealed dozens of private schools received donation totalling more than $2m in 2023, in addition to substantial revenue from investments and property portfolios, and funding from government. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email 'It is a cruel joke that taxpayers who could never dream of sending their own kids to such superbly well-resourced schools are indirectly subsidising those that can,' said Matthew Wade, a sociologist at La Trobe University who has studied the scheme for years. 'We should all be offended by witnessing something so manifestly unfair continue unabated.' Eleven private schools received more than $3m from donors in 2023, topped by St Aloysius' College, in Kirribilli, which collected $9.1m for bursaries and major building works from donation campaigns. Melbourne Grammar School received $5.9m in donations, followed by the Scots College in Sydney ($4m) and Xavier College in Melbourne ($3.9m). Years of philanthropy has helped fund major building projects at these schools, including a sculpture walk, a rooftop playground with Sydney Harbour views, and expansive aquatic and sports centres. Prof Ann O'Connell, a tax expert at the University of Melbourne, said 'the tax concession for gifts to school building funds is outrageous'. 'It dates from a time when it was difficult for the commonwealth to make grants to non-government schools,' O'Connell said. But Graham Catt, the chief executive of Independent Schools Australia, the peak body for the sector, said tax-deductibility for school building donations was 'not just fair – it's essential'. 'If anything, this is about private families picking up the bill where government support falls short,' Catt said. 'The lion's share of government capital grants still flows to public schools. 'Philanthropy plays a vital role across the independent school sector not just in funding buildings, but in enabling life-changing opportunities for students.' Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Catt said donations to private schools have supported scholarships and bursaries that help families facing financial hardship, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Jason Ward, an analyst with the Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research, said it was 'ludicrous that donations to these elite private schools, with family median incomes ranging between $225k and $495k, should be tax deductible'. 'On top of that, these well endowed schools with high fees and their own income sources are getting more than $580m in annual government funding, while the state public school systems are struggling with higher rates of teacher turnover and class sizes.' But Catt said many of the buildings funded by donations – including science labs, libraries, outdoor learning areas, and multipurpose halls – benefited the broader local community. 'The benefits of philanthropy extend well beyond the school gate,' Catt said. David Crosbie, the chief executive of the Community Council for Australia (CCA), said many small charities were unable to provide tax deductible status to donors 'despite providing services to the community that provide a clear public benefit'. 'CCA believes there are many issues with the current deductive gift receipt system that need reform and private school building funds would be part of the reform,' Crosbie said. Last year, the Albanese government declined to support the Productivity Commission's recommendation that school building funds no longer be tax deductible. The federal government was contacted for comment.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Warren opening investigation into Trump agenda's impact on schools
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said Thursday she would launch an investigation into the Trump administration's decision to dismantle the Department of Education and how it will impact students at public schools. 'I'm opening an investigation to hear directly from students, parents, teachers, and borrowers who are being hurt by Donald Trump's dangerous agenda,' the lawmaker wrote in a Thursday post on the social platform X. 'Their stories matter—and they are why I'm in this fight.' The probe will be undertaken by Warren's Save Our Schools campaign, which was launched in April of this year, according to ABC News. The Massachusetts senator will collect testimonies from educational and civil rights groups including the NAACP, American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association, as reported by the outlet. 'I request your assistance in understanding whether the Trump Administration's efforts to dismantle the Department will jeopardize students' access to affordable, accessible, and high-quality public education,' Warren wrote in the series of letters to the organizations. She requested a response by May 22 as Education Secretary Linda McMahon pushes ahead with efforts to close the federal oversight agency for national education standards. McMahon has argued that taxpayer dollars fueling the department should be returned to states for disbursement. However, Warren says that will ultimately fail students from vulnerable populations. 'School districts are already preparing for potential funding delays or cuts caused by the dismantling of the Department, with states sounding the alarm about the impact of these funding disruptions on programs like free school lunches for low-income students,' Warren wrote in her letter, according to ABC. The lawmaker pledged to continue making the case for the importance of the Department of Education despite extreme overhauls on the horizon of a complete shutdown. An official vote from Congress would be required to dissolve the agency permanently. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
24-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Warren opening investigation into Trump agenda impact on schools
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said Thursday she would launch an investigation into the Trump administration's decision to dismantle the Department of Education and how it will impact students at public schools. 'I'm opening an investigation to hear directly from students, parents, teachers, and borrowers who are being hurt by Donald Trump's dangerous agenda,' the lawmaker wrote in a Thursday post on X. 'Their stories matter—and they are why I'm in this fight.' The probe will be undertaken by Warren's Save Our Schools campaign, which was launched in April of this year, according to ABC News. The Massachusetts senator will collect testimonies from educational and civil rights groups including the NAACP, American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association, as reported by the outlet. 'I request your assistance in understanding whether the Trump Administration's efforts to dismantle the Department will jeopardize students' access to affordable, accessible, and high-quality public education,' Warren wrote in the series of letters to the organizations. She requested a response by May 22 as Education Secretary Linda McMahon pushes ahead with efforts to close the federal oversight agency for the national education standards. McMahon has argued that taxpayer dollars fueling the department should be returned to states for disbursement. However, Warren says that will ultimately fail students from vulnerable populations. 'School districts are already preparing for potential funding delays or cuts caused by the dismantling of the Department, with states sounding the alarm about the impact of these funding disruptions on programs like free school lunches for low-income students,' Warren wrote in her letter, according to ABC. The lawmaker pledged to continue making the case for the importance of the Department of Education despite extreme overhauls on the horizon of a complete shutdown. An official vote from Congress would be required to dissolve the agency permanently.
24-04-2025
- Politics
Sen. Warren probing impact on students, teachers from Education Dept. cuts
Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren's Save Our Schools campaign is launching a comprehensive investigation into the Trump administration's effort to close the Department of Education.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Polls open at 2 p.m. Tuesday for NJ school districts with April elections
Polls will open at 2 p.m. Tuesday for a handful of New Jersey school districts opting to hold April school board elections. Of the state's almost 600 school districts, 16 hold spring elections, and the others have them on Election Day in November. The districts with spring elections are: Cliffside Park, Fairview, Lodi, Garfield, Irvington, Newark, Monroe, North Bergen, Weehawken, West New York, New Brunswick, Randolph, Passaic, Totowa, Byram and Westfield. Polls will close at 8 p.m. All state school elections were held in the spring until 2012, when a new state law allowed districts to switch their elections to November. Some towns have switched back to April. Garfield was the latest, just making the ballot deadline in February after the school district and current board of education tried to stop the city council from making the move. Lodi changed back to the spring in 2023. With the change, districts no longer had to seek public approval to pass their budgets unless they exceeded the then-new state-mandated 2% cap on increases. Only voters whose districts held elections in April had a say on school spending plans, but that was recently changed. Last year, Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law that took the public budget vote away for districts with April elections unless the school district was raising taxes above the 2% cap. With bank cap exceptions, it gives a school district the opportunity to raise taxes over the 2% cap before a public vote can take place. Check back after polls close for unofficial results. CLIFFSIDE PARK Lisa Frato (incumbent) Daniel Murtagh Kleidon Ndreu (incumbent) Letizia Pantoliano (incumbent) FAIRVIEW Diane Testa (incumbent) Francisco Martinez (incumbent) Angelo D'Arminio GARFIELD Alea C. Sanchez - "Education Not Politics" (incumbent) Bogumila "Millie" Swietek - "Education, Not Politics" Aldo A. Munoz - "Education, Not Politics" (incumbent) Arlene Patire - "Save Our Schools" William J. Oddo - "Save Our Schools" Larrisa Ihsan - "Save Our Schools" Ismet Feratoski - "Dedication Accountability Loyalty" Abdelkader Sardena - "Education, Community, Unity" Richard Derrig - "Experienced Focus Leadership" Nancy Kutsup - "Experienced Focus Leadership" LODI Michael Caruso - "Citizens Against Corruption" Katie Lugo-Lisath - "Citizens Against Corruption" Joao Mendes - "Citizens Against Corruption" Jocelyn Anderson - "Continue the Progress" Laura Cima - "Continue the Progress" (incumbent) John Cannizzaro - "Continue the Progress" (incumbent) TOTOWA Joseph A. Parlegreco (incumbent) RoseMarie Carr (incumbent) Gary Bierach (incumbent) CITY OF PASSAIC Patricia 'Abril' Barrales-Garcia (incumbent) Marko Kopic Juan Arroyo Maryann Capursi (incumbent) Michael 'Moshe' Gross This article originally appeared on These NJ school districts have April elections. See results
