School on the move
PRIMARY TO TAKE OVER FORMER HIGH SITE
THE future of the Oberon High School site has finally been revealed.
A multimillion-dollar modular building will be placed on site for students from a small primary school.
Oberon South Primary School, which has only 47 students and is in Belmont, will move to the site.
Oberon High School is moving to Armstrong Creek in 2021.
Students this year had the choice to enrol in Year 7 at Oberon High School and remain at the school when it relocated or enrol in Year 7 at either Belmont High School or Grovedale College if that school would become their future zoned school.
Education Minister James Merlino announced yesterday Oberon South Primary School would move to the site in term one, 2021.
The students will be learning in a $4.59 million building as part of the move, with funding allocated over the past two state budgets to support the build.
The modular building will be built in a factory and moved to the location next year.
This meant students and teachers would get the new building sooner, with minimal disruption to day-to-day education, Mr Merlino said.
He said at its new Kidman Ave location, Oberon South Primary would be closer to Belmont Community Kindergarten, which would make drop-off and pick-up easier for families with children at both facilities.
The move also presented a great opportunity for the school and kinder to collaborate. and create a smoother kinder to Prep transition, he said.
After the relocation, it is understood the Education Department will investigate whether the Oberon South Primary School site at Tintinara Cres needs to be retained for future education use.
It is not known how the move may affect school zones, which are reviewed annually.
Oberon South Primary School principal Joanne Black said the school was excited to be rebuilding and relocating.
“This will give our school greater exposure to the community, and our students improved access to the school grounds,” Ms Black said.
“Our school is in a growth corridor, and we are excited to soon be offering state-of-theart education facilities to our current and future students.”
Mr Merlino yesterday visited several local schools to unveil new facilities.
Whittington Primary School’s new $6.6 million facilities include modern classrooms, art and music rooms and a gym.
Mr Merlino and Geelong Labor MP Christine Couzens also opened the completed stages of $22.7 million in upgrades at Geelong High School, including the performing arts centre.
Work on a new technology centre are still under way and expected to be completed in the first half of next year.
Mr Merlino and South Barwon MP Darren Cheeseman toured the recently completed Armstrong Creek West Primary School (interim name), which will open next year.