Soaring student numbers at an Epping primary school have been the focus of an “emergency” meeting between the Department of Education and Whittlesea council.
At an Aurora Community Association meeting on April 19, Whittlesea council advocacy manager Mary Agostino said Epping Views Primary School was under great strain.
The school opened in 2008 with 30 students. Now there are 1241, which exceeds the school’s capacity – set at 1200 – for its current facilities.
Ms Agostino said that as the planned Epping North Primary School wouldn’t be built until 2017 or 2018, the April 15 emergency meeting was called to discuss the lack of space for preps and other new students starting next year.
According to the Aurora meeting minutes, Ms Agostino said one suggestion was to put portable classrooms on council-owned land next to the school.
Discussions between the school, council and department are in their infancy.
Ms Agostino said the school was telling prospective parents that it was capping enrolments for preps in 2016 at 210 pupils and giving preference to local families.
Assistant principal David Whewell said 100 pupils had already enrolled for prep next year – “a high number for this time of year”.
He said the school had been telling parents from Wallan, Thomastown, Lalor and Mernda to consider their local primary schools first.
“They’re not told they can’t come here. Never at any stage has anyone been knocked back,” he said.
“In a way we’re asking for their support.”
Foundation principal Pauline Kubat said the school’s biggest issue was determining how many portable classrooms were needed to deal with student numbers next year.
“We grow considerably every year,” she said. “We got five new double portables to manage student numbers this year.
“We’re just looking at where we could possibly put more portables if needed so we don’t take up more space on the oval.”
Ms Kubat said the Department of Education and Whittlesea council were well aware of the school’s struggles “and are doing what they can and being supportive of us”.
