PROMISED funding of $5.3 million for the San Remo Primary School to go out to tender for the start of the new school rebuild wasn’t included in the State Budget announced last Tuesday, May 7.
But they haven’t given up.
The school community, led by school council president Josh Thompson, has backed a letter-writing campaign to “imploring” the government to reconsider its decision and reinstate the funding this year.
“It means that if we get funded in next year’s budget we could not start the building works until 2026 and probably would not be in the buildings until 2027,” he said, in reference to the shock omission from the budget and the rate at which the school is growing on the back of a building boom in the town.
The 150-year old San Remo Primary still has one of the 100-plus year old buildings relocated to the site when they moved over from the police station land in the 1800s and has long since passed its fit-for-purpose dat.
There are 171 children at the school, and growing at 10 or more students annually, they would reach the new building capacity around the same time it is opened if delayed.
The problem for San Remo is that Stage 1, which would involve setting the school up for the four-stage project, needs to start in December-January in order that the school can continuing functioning.
They would lose the library and admin buildings initially and add two new classrooms while re-establishing the office in the well-being room and the staff in a special classroom.
The other stages of the $5.3 million rebuild would then be able to follow on but funding for the first foundation stage is crucial.
Josh is urging the community to email local MP Jordan Crugnale Jordan.crugnale@parliament.vic.gov.au Education Minister Ben Carroll ben.carroll@parliament.vic.gov.au and Premier Jacinta Allan Jacinta.allan@parliament.vic.gov.au “imploring them to reconsider the decision and reinstate the funding so that we can build this year”.
It's a worthy campaign for a worthy, much-needed project but the reality is they’re not on their own.
According to the State Opposition, the Allan Labor Government has failed to provide funding for 29 promised school upgrades across Victoria in Tuesday’s State Budget.
Prior to the 2022 State Election, Labor promised to deliver $850 million to upgrade “at least” 89 government schools across Victoria.
“Despite this promise, after two State Budgets 29 of these promised school upgrades remain unfunded raising serious concerns about if these projects will actually be delivered by 2026,” said an opposition spokesman.
The unfunded projects include upgrades at:
· Belmont High School.
· Broadford Primary School.
· Carrington Primary School.
· Caulfield South Primary School.
· Colac West Primary School.
· Collingwood College.
· Drouin Secondary College.
· Edenhope College.
· Gardenvale Primary School.
· Hampton Primary School.
· Hazel Glen College.
· Kurunjang Secondary College.
· Lakes Entrance Primary School.
· Leongatha Secondary College.
· Lismore Primary School.
· Manorvale Primary School.
· McKinnon Primary School.
· Melba College.
· Melton South Primary School.
· Mordialloc College.
· Mount Eliza North Primary College.
· Mount Erin College.
· Mullauna College.
· Orchard Grove Primary School.
· Rangebank Primary School.
· San Remo Primary School.
· Stawell Primary School.
· Wangaratta High School.
· White Hills Primary School.
“Labor’s failure to fund these promised school upgrades comes as the budget confirmed a further increase in Victoria’s record debt, which is now set to reach $187.8 billion by 2028, with interest repayments to reach almost $26 million a day over this same period.”
Shadow Minister for Early Childhood and Education, Jess Wilson, said: “Labor’s financial mismanagement is denying students the quality learning environments they need to achieve their full potential.”
“After two budgets, Labor is yet to fund 29 promised school upgrades and communities across Victoria are rightly concerned about these projects becoming yet another Labor broken promise.
“Labor cannot manage money and students, parents and school communities are paying the price.”
Bass MP Jordan Crugnale has been asked for comment.
