LALOR’S newest school has had to cut staff and programs to fund ground works, according to its principal.
Lalor Gardens Primary School principal Anne Hulett said the state government would not fund landscaping and other works because the $7.5 million project was federally funded and fell outside the state’s guidelines.
But the state government did make a one-off $86,000 grant including $50,000 for basketball courts, which are now built, and $36,000 for some groundwork, but the money had run out and the school had to finance the rest, she said.
“We have budgeted $80,000 to self-fund groundworks this year alone, but it has come at a cost,” Ms Hulett said.
She said two leading teacher positions which provided support and development for other staff had been cut, along with cuts to the school curriculum and one class.
She said students from that class had been distributed to other classes increasing class sizes from about 21 to about 25.
When the 370 students moved to the new school mid last year, the grounds were a quagmire and were a safety issue, she said.
“It was a mud pool full of rocks which were laid down for trucks but keep coming to the surface.”
The school had to self fund $40,000 for turf on the playground and a similar amount for work in the grounds at the side. “But we won’t be finished, there are three [playgrounds] that will take the next three years to do,” Ms Hulett said. There were no trees for shade anywhere on the site, she said.
