Major renos, advanced learning hubs, agriculture precincts: All southwest school upgrades revealed
Several southwest Queensland schools are anticipating a major development boom, with almost $100m in education infrastructure planned for the Darling Downs and South West alone. Here’s how your school will shape up in the next decade.
Warwick
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Several southwest Queensland schools are gearing up for major developments, ranging from renovations to new groundbreaking developments, with schools across the region keen to get their projects off the ground.
Ranging from futuristic learning hubs, to playground upgrades, new tuckshops and even advanced agricultural precincts, many schools across the southwest are going to look a little differently as soon as term 1 of 2024.
In August, Education Minister Grace Grace announced a government drive to upgrade schools across the state and said it was a “hugely popular initiative is all about supporting the health and wellbeing of students”.
“And, it has been so popular that the department is reviewing all remaining eligible applications and looking at how we can provide funding,” the minister said.
“So, if your school has made an application but hasn’t heard back yet, watch this space.”
A spokesperson from the Department of Education said the government was “committed to building, maintaining, improving and renewing schools across Queensland”.
“In 2023-24, the Department of Education is forecast to invest $99.9m in education infrastructure across its Darling Downs and South West Region,” the spokesperson said.
Here’s how your school will shape up as we head into 2024 and the next decade:
Warwick – Scots PGC
Warwick’s 105-year-old college is gearing up for a major renovation to its middle school, named after former student and Scots co-principal and Betty Crombie on the buildings 20th anniversary.
The precinct, which focuses on students in years 6 to 8, will be redeveloped to “cater to the future needs of our Middle School students” featuring both general and specialist learning areas.
A statement from the school said their plans include special learning spaces that will help facilitate learning experiences that support “our pedagogical practices while providing an environment that suits the needs and styles of learners too”.
The project will be developed in two stages, the first being a general learning area which is described as a “traditional” style classroom.
The second stage being a dubbed a “future learning precinct” which will encompass specialist learning areas like agriculture, STEM and the arts.
The project is estimated to cost in the range of $8-12m, with the first stage estimated to cost between $4-5m.
Pittsworth – Pittsworth State High School
Plans to upgrade a hall into a major multipurpose learning hub at Pittsworth State High School, near Toowoomba, is underway.
The near-$7m reno will include a single court area, kinesiology lab/gym, stage, equipment and chair stores, amenities and change rooms, kitchen and kiosk, green room, staff workroom with a kitchenette and an office for the Head of Department, an Education Queensland spokesperson confirmed.
“The hall will support the delivery of curriculum, with the ability for sporting activities such as badminton, volleyball, netball and basketball,” the spokesperson said.
The project is estimated to be complete by the end of 2023, per the school.
Pittsworth State High School announced in February their manual arts building would also be receiving an upgrade.
The school is receiving a $900,000 fund to upgrade to their A Block building (commonly known as the Manual Arts Block), which will include modernising staffroom, both workshops and the graphics room.
“This upgrade is very welcomed and will ensure that students have access to modern facilities and resources in this area of the school,” the school said in a newsletter.
Warwick – Warwick State High school
Warwick State High School will receive $8.9m in funding from the state government for a new multipurpose hall.
The hall, expected to be completed by early 2024, will include a single court area and performance stage, as well as a multipurpose room, a staffroom and multiple auxiliary spaces.
Toowoomba – Concordia Lutheran College
One of the Darling Downs’ biggest private school will undergo a massive project to merge their campuses into one location, which is estimated to take more than a decade.
Concordia Lutheran College at Toowoomba has revealed it will build a state-of-the-art junior school precinct, currently based in the suburb of Centenary Heights, at its primary campus on Stephen St in Harristown, with construction to start as early as 2024.
“It’s a 10-15 year plan that we’ve put in place, but the new junior college precinct will be in place within the next five years,” head of college Anton Prinsloo told The Chronicle earlier this year.
While final figures have not been reached, the college expects the long-term plan to be worth upwards of $10m across its life.
Roma – Roma State College
Roma State College was allocated near $2m to upgrade their school farm facilities at their campus.
The Queensland State Government has committed $1.9m to the project, which will upgrade two farms; Taurindicus, a 35-acre block which caters to primarily livestock, and Mindarie, a 4-acre block that includes a farm shed, vegetable patch and greenhouse.
Work on this project has started and is due for completion sometime in 2023.
The school’s middle college is also getting a share of the $29m allocated by the Queensland state government to upgrade school playgrounds; including playgrounds, surface repair, soft fall areas (both new and upgraded) and shade cover structures over playgrounds (both new and upgraded).
Roma State College also received $800k in the recent State Budget to refurbish four learning spaces and two offices in Block J at its Senior Campus.
The school also received $600,000 for accessibility, in a move to improve equitable access by installing a lift and new accessible amenities with a shower, change table, hoist and airconditioning.
Dalby – Dalby State High School
Dalby State High School will receive a new multipurpose hall on their campus at Nicholson St.
The hall is currently in the planning phase and is expected to be completed in mid-2025.
The school will also received $500,000 (excluding GST) in the recent state budget to boost accessibility across the school.
The grant will provide equitable access, including a hall stage lift, an automatic door to the school administration and the relocation of its accessible amenities.
The funding for Dalby State High School is in addition to the $2.7m received last year to upgrade its existing Trade Training Centre and associated equipment which was completed in December 2022.
The Gums – The Gums State School
This Western Downs school will receive a share of the state government’s $29m to upgrade playgrounds across the state to improve the facilities.
Warwick – Glennie Heights State School
Located in north Warwick, Glennie Heights will indulge in the government’s playground upgrade grant in order to “help more school communities promote healthy behaviours that support learning and get kids moving, starting with the fundamentals of healthy eating and play”.
Toowoomba – Toowoomba Anglican School
TAS is expected to complete a new development of the tiered Gill Precinct building at their campus at East Toowoomba.
The Gill Precinct is said to accommodate three new general-purpose learning areas and a specialist room to be used as a strength and conditioning suite and HPE classroom.
There will be covered tiered seating from the first floor to the ground floor that will be used as an outdoor learning space, an outdoor strength and conditioning space and a viewing area for the adjacent tennis and netball courts.
There is also a second smaller outdoor learning space available which doubles as an outdoor seating area for students.
Stanthorpe – Stanthorpe State High School
Stanthorpe State High School has received $250k in the 2023-24 state budget to install new equitable access pathways to improve accessibility at their McGlew St campus.
Warwick – Warwick Central State School
Warwick Central received $770,000 in the 2023–24 state budget to convert and refurbish four learning spaces into three learning spaces on the first floor of Block C.
Work is currently underway on site and the project is forecast to reach practical completion in late September 2023.
Leyburn – Leyburn State School
Leyburn State School, west of Warwick, will receive a portion of the Queensland government’s $29m playground upgrade fund, Eat Right, Play Right, Learn Well.
Dalby — Dalby State School
Dalby’s primary school received $900,000 in the 2023–24 state budget to completely refurbish five classrooms on the first floor of one of it’s building (Block D).
Kingaroy – St Mary’s Catholic College
St Mary’s Catholic College at Kingaroy will undergo a new footpath along east side of Kent Street connecting Albert and Fitzroy streets, including an upgrade to the Carinya St pedestrian crossing.
The development is expected to be delivered in 2023 or 2024.
Thulimbah/ Wallangarra/Amiens – Thulimbah State School/Wallangarra State School/Amiens State School
These three Granite Belt schools will also receive a slice of the $29m Eat Right, Play Right, Learn Well program, which will upgrade playground facilities at schools across the state.
Murgon – Murgon State School/Murgon State High School
North of Kingaroy, Murgon State School is expected to receive an upgrade from the two crossings to a combined children’s crossing and pedestrian crossing including line marking, signage, furniture and concrete median protection.
Furthermore, the installation of drainage infrastructure and line markings at Murgon High will support safer use of the area, as well as a replacement of the existing food path from Krebs St to the school’s pool entrance.
The move is a part of a push by the South Burnett Regional Council to upgrade school facilities across the region, at a cost of $1.2m which will target five school in the South Burnett.
Kingaroy – Kingaroy State High School/Kingaroy State School
A bus interchange will be installed at Kingaroy State High School and Kingaroy State School, an extension of the concrete medians between all bus parking bays will ensure protected pedestrian access.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2023/2024.
Chinchilla – Chinchilla State School
Chinchilla State School is expected to receive a $420,000 grant from the state government to upgrade the Prep playground at its campus.
Goondiwindi – Goondiwindi State High School
Goondiwindi State High School received $1.56m in 2023–24 to refurbish its manual arts and home economics specialist spaces, including internal repaint, installation of new specialty equipment, new flooring, windows, lighting and cabinetry.
Westmar – Westmar State School
Another Western Downs primary school on the list is Westmar, near St George, which is set to get an upgraded playground to the tune of a $425,000 grant from the government.
Charleville – Charleville State School/Charleville State High School
A hot tourist town in the Shire of Murweh, immortalised by the famous Slim Dusty song, Charleville is home to a thriving school of P-6 students.
Earlier this month, it was announced the school would receive a massive $2m upgrade, which will see the school will soon have a new updated library, reading room and administration area.
The school is also set to get a new playground apart of the government’s initiative.
Charleville State High School will also undergo a refurbishment to the tune of more than $700,000, the school’s C-Block will soon become a hub for student support.
Warwick – Warwick Central State School/Warwick East State School/Warwick State High School
Three schools in the Rose City will receive a share of a sizeable $100m across a four-year plan to be a part of their Go for Gold bid to “improve sports performance preparation for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games”.
Chosen schools will get individual grants up to $5000 to increase student activity and participation in sport across all Queensland schools.
Warwick Central, East and State High have all been chosen from the Rose City to receive the grant which was awarded late last year.
St Mary’s at Warwick, St Patrick’s at Allora, St Joseph's and Stanthorpe State High School at Stanthorpe, The School of Total Education at Warwick, Roma State College at Roma, Oakey State School at Oakey, Dalby State High School at Dalby and Amiens State School at the Granite Belt were also chosen in round 1 of the funding.
Toowoomba – Maridahdi Early Childhood Community School
Announced in May this year, the government’s School Upgrade Fund will allocate up to $25,000 for schools to is to provide more equitable access to resources to support schools to help keep students and school staff safe, and get students’ education back on track after disruptions caused by Covid-19.
Maryvale – Maryvale State School
East of Warwick, Maryvale State School will receive a grant of up to $25,000 thanks to the SUF to help the school to “provide their students with improved learning facilities in a Covid-19 safe environment”.
Plainland – Sophia College
East of Toowoomba, the $275.2m Schools Upgrade Fund will also have a sum allocated to Plainland’s Catholic private school to boost its education facilities.
Inglewood – St Maria Goretti School
This prep to year 6 school also was announced as a recipient of up to $25,000 upgrade fund.
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