School’s spending rockets
Grammar splashes $879k on consultancy
TOOWOOMBA Grammar School’s spending on consultancy has increased tenfold in the space of 12 months according to data made available by the Queensland Government.
The statistics show that while the school spent a mere $79,092 on consultancy in 2015, that figure rose to $879,914 in 2016.
The school’s deputy headmaster Timothy Kelly said the spend was not an unusual one considering what the school has going on.
Grammar is currently building a $14 million two-storey gymnasium, the largest project the school has undertaken since it was founded in 1877.
“It is a big project costing multiple millions of dollars and as far as those (consultancy) expenses are concerned, you have to be aware of what we need in assistance for it,” Mr Kelly said.
With students fees providing the school with the finances it needs to run on a day-to-day basis, Mr Kelly refuted claims that parents should be concerned about where their money is going.
The deputy headmaster also confirmed that the school is able to absorb the consultancy costs associated with the build.
“This is just part of a larger project and the fees people pay are just part of the expense to building this project,” he said.
“Because of the nature of the project we needed to engage professional organisations for architects and engineers.
“It is budgeted as a part of a long-term strategy for our built environment.”
President of the Toowoomba Grammar School’s Parents and Friends’ Association Wes McRae supported the costs associated with the project, saying it had been a long time coming.
“This is the culmination of a decade of planning and implementation,” he said.