Parents at Radford College are pushing for a change of leadership after the school reported a deficit for the second consecutive year and announced another large fee increase. A group of parents claims the community has been misled about the school's financial situation and that fees were raised to fund what they describe as 'unnecessary vanity projects'.
In a meeting on Monday night, the college informed families that fees would rise by 9 to 12 per cent next year, following a 20 per cent increase in 2026. Parents questioned why the school proceeded with capital works, including a new sports pavilion, floodlights, an electronic scoreboard, and a new boardroom, while families faced further fee hikes.
The college's audited accounts showed a deficit of over $550,000 in 2025, after a deficit of $840,000 the previous year. However, a parent told The Canberra Times that the school's own records indicated the fee increases were unnecessary. 'They chose to raise the fees to fund unnecessary vanity projects and then fabricated a series of financial errors to get away with it,' the parent said.
The parent warned that further fee hikes would cripple many families and predicted a mass exodus at the end of the year. The college, which usually has a waitlist, now has dozens of vacancies. The college told The Canberra Times it expects to be fully enrolled by the start of term 3.
Board chair Vicki Williams said the board recognised that families still had questions about decisions made last year and remained committed to transparency. The college stated that the new boardroom was part of relocating the healthcare centre, funded by the Radford College Foundation, and that the new sports facilities were fully funded by a donation.
Parents with financial expertise released an analysis arguing that the school's financial report showed it did not need to drastically raise fees. The analysis indicated the school took in more cash than it spent, and the deficit was due to depreciation and interest expenses. The college said the increased depreciation costs were based on an independent valuation of buildings.
