Parents, carers and school staff are calling on the Victorian government to urgently commit funding in next year’s state budget to complete stage two of the Northern School for Autism’s (NSA) secondary campus in Lalor.
More than 1800 people have signed a petition calling on Education Minister Ben Carroll to prioritise the project in the 2026 state budget, warning if funding is not secured before the state election due in November, the second stage of the build may never be completed.
Stage one of the Lalor secondary campus was completed earlier this year, delivering new administration areas, specialist rooms and junior classrooms.
But parents and advocates say the progress only tells half the story, with middle and senior students still learning in outdated and inadequate facilities which are not meeting their educational, emotional or sensory needs.
Parent advocate Rhiannon Bennett, who started the petition, said families have been left frustrated that so many students are missing out.
“The ongoing uncertainty around the completion of the school has caused a great deal of anxiety for me as a parent,” she said.
“I worry that the lack of proper facilities may have a significant impact not only on my children but also on their peers. Without full access to the spaces and resources they need to thrive – academically, socially, and emotionally – their overall school experience is being limited.”
The Lalor campus is already under pressure, supporting 202 students across 22 classes.
Enrolments are projected to rise to 260 students over 28 classes within the next five years, sparking fears the school cannot safely accommodate growing demand without new facilities.
Sculin MP Andrew Giles said he would meet with the school soon to hear directly from families.
“I am scheduled to meet with the Northern School for Autism soon, and look forward to hearing from them about how I can best advocate on their behalf for further upgrades to their facilities,” Mr Giles said.
“I’ll continue to work with my state colleagues to ensure schools in the local community get the support they need.”
Thomastown MP Bronwyn Halfpenny said she understood families’ concerns but would not pre-empt next year’s budget.
“My priority is that every child, no matter where they live, has access to a world-class education for free in a Victorian government school,” Ms Halfpenny said.
“Specialist schools in northern Victoria are feeling the benefits from Victoria’s largest-ever single investment to upgrade every specialist development school across the state. I am thrilled to see the completion of stage one of the upgrades to the Northern School for Autism in 2025 and while I won’t pre-empt what is in next year’s budget, I will continue to meet with the school to discuss their future needs.”
Ms Bennett has called on the government to meet the needs of the students, saying large, non-functional spaces have been left empty.
“…sections of the playground no longer exist, the old buildings have been demolished and where stage 2-middle/ senior years classrooms are to be built, large, non-functional spaces have been left empty,” she said.
“The current situation places immense strain on our community.”
Parents, teaching staff and other advocates fear with no projection date on completion of stage two construction and a failure to secure funding in next year’s state budget may leave the campus uncompleted until after 2030.
“If no financial commitment is made in 2026, we will struggle to even have the campus completed within five years,” Ms Bennett said.
Minister for Education Ben Carroll was contacted for comment.
For more information, or to show support, visit https://chng.it/Pg8n6HVZ5s.
