South Australia Department of Education reviews dozens of school upgrade projects approved in 2017

Dozens of stalled public school upgrades which have ballooned in cost during the pandemic are under official review.

Construction cost increases have added millions to school projects across SA, forcing some to be put on hold while they are reviewed.

An emergency injection of $14m has been secured by Education Minister Blair Boyer for several of the projects, most of which involved primary school upgrades approved in 2017.

Mr Boyer said they were “pushed back to the end of the queue” when the previous Liberal government moved year 7 into secondary schools.

“This meant money was instead spent on getting high schools ready for year 7,” he said. “More than 28 projects have sat stagnant and not progressed for more than four years, despite funding being allocated almost five years ago.

“What has happened since then has been an average increase of around 40 per cent in building costs across the board during the pandemic.”

Education Minister Blair Boyer

Mr Boyer said this had left the department with higher costs to upgrade schools, many of which were still using “pebble-dash” classrooms and buildings from the 1960s.

Projects yet to be completed included upgrades to Belair Primary School, Black Forest Primary School, Elizabeth Vale Primary School, Findon High School, Glenelg Primary School, Grange Primary School, Magill School, Mawson Lakes School, Murray Bridge Primary School, Parafield Gardens R-7 School, Reidy Park Primary School, Springbank Secondary School, Trinity Gardens School, Valley View Secondary School, Warradale Primary School, West Lakes Shore School R-7, Westbourne Park Primary School and Woodend Primary School.

Mr Boyer said the extra funding would go towards projects at Ardtornish Primary School, Balharry Memorial Kindergarten, Fregon Anangu School and Mannum Community College.

East Marden Primary School governing council chair Michelle Palmer (left), her daughter Holly, 7, and principal Julie James. Picture: Colin James

Architect's render of the new facilities at East Marden Primary School. Picture: Education Department,

Another recipient was East Marden Primary, which had borrowed $600,000 to help cover an increase from $7.5m to $8.9m for a new office block and two new classrooms.

Speaking at a Property Council of SA luncheon, Mr Boyer said taxpayers’ money had been spent on large new schools in recent years while other facilities were left with tired and outdated buildings.

“The challenge we are facing now is those projects which are ongoing or just started,” he said. “We are trying to find the money or manage their scope.”

Mr Boyer said the public education system consisted of buildings of varying quality.

“There are the flash ones and there are the not so flash ones,” he said. “We are trying to get to those schools which have not had any uplift at all.”

Mr Boyer said upgrades to schools were not only needed to improve conditions for students and staff but also to maintain enrolments within the public education sector.

“Parents say to me that the most important thing is what happens inside the classroom and we do have great teachers,” he said.

“But they too acknowledge that when prospective parents of students drive past and see a 1960s pebble-dash building compared to something that looks like Botanic High School which has won international awards for architecture, you can forgive parents for deciding where they will send their kids to. It is about equity in the system.”

The proposed expansion of Botanic High School. Picture: Supplied

East Marden Primary principal Julie James said the school was looking forward “to receiving more contemporary buildings as part of the school upgrade”.

“We have appreciated the support of the State Government to increase the original funding due to the costs of materials and other hold ups in the process,” she said.

Ms James said the school’s governing council, particularly chair Michelle Palmer, had worked “very hard on communicating the challenges of ageing buildings and being an advocate for the community”.

Opposition education spokesman John Gardner said it was “more than a bit cute” to blame the Liberals for the increasing cost of the school upgrades.

“The Liberal Party delivered nothing less than a public schools building bonanza worth $1.5 billion, including five new public schools and seamlessly moving year 7 to high school,” he said.

“The former Labor Government announced a range of projects, totalling $692 million in value, in 2017, and in doing so they announced a six year timeframe.

The proposed expansion of Adelaide Botanic High School. Picture: Supplied

“They never committed to schools that they would be delivered in 2018 or 2019 or 2020, or what buildings they would get - only that they would get a project worth a dollar value by 2023.”

Mr Gardner said the Liberal Government increased funding “to a total of $1.5 billion, added dozens of extra projects, moved year 7 into high school, and built 5 new public schools - all during a pandemic”.

“For the new government to complain about the relatively small number of projects that remain to be completed within the original six year timeframe that they set in 2017 is more than a bit cute,” he said.

“It is true that prices have escalated in the last couple of years and we would support additional funds being applied to support those schools that have been hit hardest by these blowouts.

“However, the only schools funded by Labor in this year’s budget were 19 schools in Labor seats chosen apparently without reference to the department as to priority or need.”