2027 school funding to better support student needs
The ACT Government is making changes to how funding is allocated across public schools from 2027 to make sure funding is shared fairly across schools.
These changes respond to recommendations from the Public School System Resourcing Review [PDF 161kB], which found that improvements were needed to better align funding with student needs across the public education system.
What is changing?
From 2027, school funding will be allocated using a needs-based approach through a Student Resource Allocation (SRA) model.
Some schools will receive extra funding, while others may see adjustments to funding and staffing to better reflect the needs of their students. Schools will be supported by the Education Directorate throughout this change.
More support for students
As part of these changes, we are:
- investing an additional $7 million to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students across ACT public schools, and
- introducing a new approach to disability funding, which allocates funding based on a school's overall student with disability profile rather than individual student diagnoses.
Investment in ACT public schools
The 2026-27 ACT Budget includes:
- $1.2 billion for ACT public schools, which is a 7 per cent increase on the previous year
- an additional $40.58 million to support 2027 school budgets and staffing
- funding for 7,305 staff across schools and the Education Directorate, which is an increase of 107 positions.
How will schools manage budget changes?
The Education Directorate is working with schools to plan for any funding or staffing changes before the 2027 school year.
While school funding may change, all ACT public schools will continue to have the resources they need to deliver high-quality teaching, learning and student support. Families can be reassured that schools will continue to provide learning and wellbeing programs for students within their allocated budgets.