Buildings at 22 schools across Whittlesea and Hume will be demolished, replaced or refurbished after more than $3.8 million was injected into school maintenance funding by the state government.
The money is part of a $41.6 million planned maintenance program, and 13 Whittlesea schools including Peter Lalor Vocational College, Lalor North Secondary College, Thomastown Meadows Primary School and Epping Primary School will share in $2.3 million.
Lalor North Secondary College will receive one of Whittlesea’s largest funding allocations, with the school earmarked to receive $378,000.
Principal John Conway said the school had been built in the 1960s and was in reasonably good condition, but the money would help to “spark” the school up a bit.
“One of the issues we will use it to address is our year 9 lockers,” he said. “[They] are at the back of the gym and have no shelter. We are hoping to build a shelter off the edge of the lockers because the students just get soaked.
“I would have moved [the lockers] into corridors next year, if we hadn’t got the money,” Mr Conway said.
“We will also use it to upgrade the library and classrooms … and we have got a classroom we want to develop into an innovation and excellence centre.”
In Hume, $1.5 million will be shared by nine schools, including Craigieburn Secondary College, Roxburgh Homestead Primary School and Campbellfield Heights Primary School.
Yan Yean MP Danielle Green said the money will help schools do upgrades and improvements to buildings that have fallen below minimum standards.
“These are some fantastic schools in Melbourne’s north and this funding boost will mean facilities can be upgraded to match the high quality teaching and learning environment the schools provide,” she said.
The government said the statewide school building boom would create 400 construction jobs.
