Guide to the Commonwealth Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) Funding Model

Independent schools’ ability to plan based on sound assumptions regarding future school funding is a
key component in ensuring schools remain well-managed, sustainable and financially viable. Ensuring
this outcome should be a shared goal of schools, education authorities and governments.

The current Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) funding model, and the associated Direct Measure of
Income (DMI) Capacity to Contribute (CTC) methodology for calculating base funding, is a complex
model which is far more reactive to change than previous models. While this is in many ways viewed
as a positive, it can make it extremely difficult for schools to estimate future funding and plan
accordingly.

This guide to the SRS funding model is intended to assist schools to understand the various elements
of the SRS funding model and to plan accordingly. This guide primarily focuses on Commonwealth
funding of schools and does not cover state or territory funding allocation methodologies for individual
schools, which vary from state to state.