Growing school awaits funding pledge

A former Parents & Citizens president at Wandina Primary School says the State Government has left the school in dire need after failing to deliver funding for stage two of the school.

The independent school opened last year and was originally promised the funding later that year.

State Education Minister Peter Collier, in Geraldton last week, said the school would eventually receive the funding, but he could not confirm when.

The school is set up as a progressive roll-out, beginning with classes from kindergarten to Year 3. It now caters for kindy to Year 4.

Former P&C president Mel Eckford said the school was in dire need of funding in next year’s Budget, with students almost ready to move into Year 5 classes,

“We were well and truly supposed to have stage two completed by now and our students moving into their new rooms next year,” she said.

“But we’re still looking at an empty block because the funding which was promised to us in the Budget originally has still not been delivered.

“We currently have 289 students and that’s set to increase to 420 and, because of the promises we were made not being fulfilled, it’s going to be those kids who miss out on proper facilities.”

In the meantime, demountable classrooms will be erected in an area used as the children’s playground.

The demountables will join four already set up on the school grounds used for facilities, including the library.

Mrs Eckford said the set-up was a bandaid solution and the use of demountables took away two of the school’s main selling points — as a state-of-the art facility boasting a high energy-efficiency rating.

The P&C is lobbying for funding in next year’s Budget and has recruited support from local Geraldton residents, including Member for Geraldton Ian Blayney.

Mr Blayney said though he understood the Government’s predicament, he would support a move to ensure funding for next year.

“Though the original funding was outlined in the Budget a few years ago, unfortunately an outyear figure is not a commitment and sometimes other schools in other regions are in more need of attention, ” he said.

“I understand completely but unfortunately that does also put our students here at a disadvantage . . . and that’s something I never want to see happen.”

For more information on the P&C campaign, call 0439 921 359.