Unley High School leader Heinz Schwarzer calls for funding after $6m project to stave off capacity issues was rejected

A leader at a school in Adelaide’s inner south has expressed fears it will exceed its capacity after a development project proposal was rejected.

Artist’s impression of the rejected $6m development at Unley High School. Picture: Supplied.

A leader at a popular Adelaide public school has expressed fears it will exceed its capacity and be forced to turn away students after a project to increase its capacity was knocked back.

Unley High School governing council chairman Heinz Schwarzer said plans for the $6m project was rejected by the government and now he fears that it will impact local students hoping to enrol.

Mr Schwarzer said the $6m project was rejected and now fears it will impact local students hoping to enrol at Unley High. Picture: Supplied.

The proposed plan was to refurbish an existing facility containing “two or three classrooms with a lot of space in between” and increase it to six, which would increase capacity by about 100 students, Mr Schwarzer said.

“This school will reach capacity next year and as a result we won’t be able to accommodate Year 7 students coming in 2026,” he said.

“They would need to go to a different school.”

The current capacity of the school is 1700 students.

The Unley High School plans cost $20,000 to produce. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Schwarzer said the school submitted the plans more than a month ago, which cost $20,000 to produce, but they were rejected.

In 2022 the school opened a $32.5m upgrade which increased capacity and included a new three-storey building housing home economics, technology, arts and science areas.

The completion of the upgrade coincided with Year 7 shifting to high school.

Mr Schwarzer said the new building “is not enough”.

Opposition education spokesman John Gardner said he is calling on the government to fund the expansion in next week’s budget.

Education Minister Blair Boyer said the school is accepting students from outside its zone. Picture: Supplied.

But Education Minister Blair Boyer said the school is accepting students from outside its zone as about 1100 of its more than 1600 students live inside Unley’s catchment area.

“Advice to me is that upgrades at Unley High are not currently a high priority,” Mr Boyer said.

Upgrades at Unley High School would mean redirecting funds “from a school that needs it more”, Education Department chief executive Professor Martin Westwell said.

“We must aspire to lift the quality of all schools and that means investing elsewhere, where it is needed,” Prof Westwell said.

“Our forecasts are clear that Unley High School can meet capacity into the future.”