General Information (2 of 2)
VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT BUDGET ANNOUNCEMENT: PAYROLL TAX
In recent weeks there has been news circulating regarding the Victorian Budget which intends to introduce new taxes and in some cases levies which will have potentially serious implications for independent schools.
For the first time, some independent schools will be subject to payroll tax from 1 July next year. This has come as a total surprise to everyone in the Independent and Catholic school sectors. Although stating that this brings independent schools in line with state schools, the missing piece of information that isn’t reaching the news is that state school are fully funded by the government meaning that they are given funding which covers the payroll tax, which the school then pass back to the government, making the transaction cost neutural.
The assumption is that independent schools have the capacity to absorb this tax without affecting programs, planning, staffing and fees. So this is a matter of significant concern.
Unfortunately, the past few weeks has seen a number of changes from what was initially announced, so we are still awaiting clarity from the Victorian Government to understand the real implications.
At this stage, we believe that BHCS will not fall within the definition of a high-fee independent school, so it is likely that we will avoid being caught up in the additional taxes and levies. Our initial analysis suggests that if we were to be affected, it would cost BHCS approximately $600,000 in the first year which would increase annually. This would have serious implications on our budget, our future planning, and the services we would be able to provide our students.
Although we believe this not be affected us in the short-term, this situation is still of great concern as it may affect us in the future.
Independent Schools of Victoria is an organisation that represents schools within our sector. They have created a petition that the government reconsider the imposition of payroll tax on independent schools which has been tabled in the Legislative Council for the 30 June, 2023. For anyone who would like to be a part of the petition, it can be found here.
For further information, please visit the ISV website page dedicated to scrap the tax on learning
RECYCLE, EARN & PLAY
Help us recycle and earn points towards sports equipment!
We have collection boxes for students to collect bread bags in, you can find this in Kinder, Primary School and Reception up until the end for term.
FROM YOUR CAREERS TEAM
All the best to our Year 10 Students going on Work Experience next week!
We are here to provide you with all the latest information to help you make the important decisions about life after school. Visit our Website https://bhcspathways.com.au/ for more information about University, TAFE and any other type of course info across Australia, get information about the VCE and VCE/VM, search for job vacancies and much more. Feel free to drop into the Careers Office if you have any questions.
Alternatively, contact us at careers@bhcs.vic.edu.au for appointments or questions about pathways.
Check out this weeks careers newsletter for the latest course updates and more >> BHCS Careers News
WELLBEING RESOURCES
We know that it can sometimes be hard to find the necessary resources in relation to mental health, bullying and family violence, especially when things are tough. For this reason, the School has a small webpage with links related to health and wellbeing resources. This can be found on the School's website under Other Resources or can be found here.
ISV: THE PARENTS WEBSITE
Belgrave Heights Christian School is part of the Independent Schools Victoria network of schools. Independent Schools Victoria offers an initiative called The Parents Website. Here you will find a range of articles and newsletters. To learn more, please click here.
CHILD SAFETY & CYBERSAFETY
The following is information from the Think U Know website. Think U Know tries to help bring understanding to what children and young people SEE, SAY AND DO online.
Social Networking and Meeting People
If your child is using social media they may have ‘friends’ or ‘followers’ on their accounts they have only met and spoken to online. Unfortunately it can be easy for someone to lie about their online identity and it can be difficult to prove someone is who they say they are.
Online child sex offenders are manipulative and capable of grooming a young person into believing they are someone else, including an online ‘friend’.
Law enforcement is continuously seeing cases involving online child sexual exploitation with offenders posing as children in their interactions, with the intention of obtaining child sexual exploitation material or meeting in person.
Many social networking apps also have location options, which can allow for others to connect based on a particular location. This can present privacy challenges particularly if personal information such as a home location or address is being shared with other users.
Please see the following attached fact sheet for more information or head to the Think U Know website by clicking here