Two new schools are to be built and others expanded in an education growth program for the coming year, announced as part of the 2019-20 ACT Budget delivered earlier this week.
Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development, Yvette Berry said the Franklin Early Childhood School would be expanded to accommodate 600 students across Kindergarten to Year 6, in addition to the existing early childhood facilities.
“We will also increase the permanent capacity of the Gold Creek School Senior Campus, delivering 200 extra places by the beginning of the 2022 school year,” Ms Berry said.
She said that in order to respond quickly to increased enrolment demands, flexible, high-quality transportable buildings would be purchased to be moved to where they were most needed.
“This will support the delivery of an additional 350 places in schools across the city, with the buildings initially being provided for use at Lyneham High School and Hawker Primary School, as well as Gungahlin College,” Ms Berry said.
“In addition to adding 200 places at Gungahlin College, we will upgrade facilities to accommodate more staff and deliver new specialist science teaching facilities.”
She said a new primary school was also planned for the developing Gungahlin suburb of Throsby with a capacity for 450 students and up to 132 pre-school students.
She said there would also be space to accommodate future student growth when it was ready to take students in the 2022 school year.
“We will also deliver a new high school in Kenny to cater for enrolments from across Gungahlin,” Ms Berry said.
“This school will cater for 800 students from Years 7 to 10 with room for temporary expansion to accommodate more places if required.
“It is planned to open in the 2023 school year,” she said.
