$6.6 million delivers major redevelopment

Specialist School welcomes funds

No time is being wasted in moving ahead with a major redevelopment at the War- ragul and District Specialist School after funding was announced in last week’s state budget.

The $6.6 million funding will provide a new and additional purpose built facility for students.

A “very, very pleased” principal Matthew Hyde said he’d already had emails from the relevant department to start initial planning and information gathering.

He said he expected it would be only a matter of weeks until the school and the Victorian Schools Building Authority begin further developing plans. The school opened in 2006 with a then state-of-the-art building to accommodate up to 48 students.

We now have 120, Mr Hyde said.

The new building will cater for the area’s growing needs for education for those with special needs and will replace a number of portable buildings that have catered for rising student numbers.

Mr Hyde said the school had high quality staff and would soon have high quality teaching facilities.

Government Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing said she was also delighted the case for the upgraded specialist school had been recognised. She said it would give students new permanent classrooms and the same educational opportunities as every other student in the state.

Liberal candidate for Narracan at November’s state election Wayne Farnham also welcomed the announcement.

A builder, he said he worked on the initial school building school and although expanded facilities were overdue he said they would be welcomed by families.