THE state government’s new Doreen Secondary College has not derailed plans for an independent prep to year 12 school in the area.
The government in last week’s budget promised $11.5 million for the first stage of Doreen Secondary, which plans to begin with year 7 and 8 students in 2015.
But the independent Blackwood College would open a year earlier, initially offering prep to year 9, said college director Jessie Burtt.
She said Blackwood was looking at several sites, but was confi dent it would open in 2014 because of the “pop-up” relocatable building design that reduced construction time.
The college would begin enrolments soon, but 100 potential students had responded in the fi rst 10 days when the college invited expressions of interest.
Mrs Burtt said the college had appointed Chris Goy, the former assistant principal of Acacia College, which closed last year, and his wife Karen as the educational leaders.
“The government school is planning to open years 7 and 8 in 2015; that’s not going to help the children needing a secondary school next year,” she said.
“Laurimar Primary School was built for 450 students and has 1000 kids on site.
“We’re way under capacity for the educational needs of the area.
In [the City of] Whittlesea we need three more primary schools and two secondary schools and demand is growing.” She said the college was a registered non-profi t organisation, and had a board of directors who were discussing school registration with the Victorian Registration and Qualifi cations Authority.
Mrs Burtt, an Acacia College parent who started Blackwood after Acacia closed, said fees would be “modest” for the non-religious school.
“We are negotiating with fi nancial organisations [for the $30 million project] and as soon as we get the land secured, we can get the school up and going and meet the deadline.” she said.
Yan Yean MLA Danielle Green said that while the government funded the Doreen school and gave $29 million to expand Epping’s Northern Hospital, there was little else for the northern suburbs in the state budget.
“There’s nothing for roads or public transport in Whittlesea, for the third year in a row,” Ms Green said.
