St Patrick’s Primary School in Kilmore and St Mary’s College in Seymour will both receive state government funding in hopes of alleviating significant enrolment pressures.
Both schools are located within the rapidly growing Mitchell Shire, where demand for schooling is expected to sharply rise as the local population is set to increase by over 250 per cent by 2041.
The Nationals’ Member for Euroa, Annabelle Cleeland, said the funding was urgently needed for the schools to handle the growth in the region.
“As things stand, St Patrick’s in Kilmore has been on the verge of reaching its capacity of 588 students, with several year levels already having waitlists for new students,” Ms Cleeland said.
“This funding will allow them to accept several new students at a prep and foundation level, ensuring young families are able to find local schooling options for their children.
“The funding for St Mary’s in Seymour will allow for crucial upgrades to their science building, improving education options in the local community, as well as increasing their enrolment capacity.”
Ms Cleeland said the region was still in desperate need of more investment in education to match the rapid growth.
“Everyone deserves an education close to their home, but secondary students in Kilmore are forced into travelling between 45 minutes to an hour each morning to get to school,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Despite the community making it loud and clear they need a public secondary school in town, Labor has failed to provide a straight answer about the future of secondary schooling in Kilmore.
“Meanwhile, nearby Broadford Primary School had previously had $14 million committed to it from the Allan Labor Government, before they unceremoniously broke this promise and removed the funding, along with funding for 29 other schools, from recent budget papers.
“The funding for our local Catholic schools is a start, but our region desperately needs more funding to ensure all local children can have a quality education close to their home.”
