Indooroopilly State High School to close library, students crammed into storage rooms
A Brisbane high school will take the drastic step of turning the library into classrooms and cramming students into storage areas.
South West
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One of Brisbane’s best state high schools is such a victim of its own success it will take the drastic step of turning the library into classrooms and cramming students into storage areas.
The Indooroopilly State High School (ISHS) P&C is demanding urgent action before first term in 2024, including installing at least 16 demountables on the playing fields.
It comes after the shock announcement in March that all ISHS out-of-catchment enrolments would be halted, including gifted students who gained admission through specialist programs.
ISHS’ projected enrolment next year was 2937 students, compared with a maximum enrolment capacity of 2140.
P&C Vice-President Tony Ellison said the school already had 22 demountable classrooms.
But at least 16 more were needed, possibly as many as 30, even though that would compromise use of the large oval by students and residents exercising their dogs.
The State Government quietly changed its rules late last year to allow schools to install demountables without lodging expensive, time-consuming development applications.
But they could not be near neighbours or roads, block access roads, take up car parking space or be in floodplains and fire zones.
There was also a cap on numbers, even if schools could not keep up with growth.
Mr Ellison said ISHS parents urgently needed to see a masterplan to deal with forecast growth in the catchment area.
He said the P&C was told this week that the library would close next year and be converted into three classrooms. That was after earlier losing part of its area for student “processing’’.
Three classrooms would also be set up in storage spaces and in two musical teaching spaces.
“It’s not just the students who are affected. Teachers are crammed into cubicles the width of two computer monitors,’’ he said.
“A library is essential in any school, particularly in a Queensland summer where it is a refuge.
“It’s also a refuge for children (who struggle to socialise), which will only become more important when mobile phones are banned next year.’’
Mr Ellison said the ISHS P&C had made substantial investment into the tuckshop to keep pace with demand, serving more than 120,000 meals a year.
This included $40,000 on vending machines, point-of-sale devices and other efficiencies.
But students sometimes still waited up to 40 minutes in the sun before being served.
Sufficient toilets also were a problem and the school could not cater adequately for gender diverse students despite its renowned emphasis on inclusivity.
The school, which posted the 34th best NAPLAN results in the state last year, has become a victim of its own success.
Data it commissioned recently from demographer Bernard Salt revealed a 40 per cent surge in secondary school age government students moving into the catchment in the five years to 2021.
The Salt report also found a boom in high-density development would boost the population in the catchment area from the present 67,000 to more than 82,000 by mid-century.
In early 2020, a huge $18.7 million multi-level learning centre was finished and construction began on a $12 million sports complex.
The government also gave the P&C $300,000 to help pay for earthworks at a new tuckshop at the time.
The multistorey learning centre including 16 classroom, two design studios, two science laboratories and three multimedia learning areas.
There were only seven science labs, with priority given to senior students.
Education Minister Grace Grace said the government had invested $44 million in infrastructure at ISHS since 2015.
“We delivered six new classrooms in March this year and we will ensure all students are accommodated in term one, 2024.
“It’s no secret that Indooroopilly State High has traditionally enrolled high numbers of out-of-catchment students and the Department of Education continues to work with the school to manage out-of-catchment enrolments.
“We thank the school for this work and we will continue to work with the school community to ensure all students are accommodated in 2024 and beyond.”
An Education Department spokeswoman said the $44 million spend included a three-storey learning centre with 18 classrooms, two flexible spaces and seven specialist learning spaces which opened last year and a multipurpose hall with sports courts, canteen and staff room which opened in 2020. Six demountables were installed in March.
“Master planning is underway for future infrastructure to enhance facilities at Indooroopilly SHS, to provide additional specialist spaces to support the delivery of school curriculum and to ensure that staff, administration and other ancillary facilities across the school site are appropriate for the long term in catchment student forecasts,’’ she said.
“The school and broader community will be consulted through the master planning process.’’
Mr Ellison said the P&C had complete confidence in executive principal Michael Hornby, who had been in the role only since June last year.
However the P&C was so concerned they wrote this week to Treasurer Cameron Dick, Deputy Premier Steven Miles, Ms Grace and all local politicians to outline the gravity of the problem.
State Greens MP Michael Berkman said it was unclear why Ms Grace had chosen to close multiple existing school spaces rather than approving a Ministerial Infrastructure Designation (MID) to allow more than the permitted number of demountables.
MIDs override council by-laws.
“We needed new buildings at ISHS years ago. While the Government continues to play catch-up, the least they could do is build temporary classrooms instead of closing the library,’’ Mr Berkman said.
“The Education Minister kept saying the school just needs to tighten its enrolment practices, which seems like wilful ignorance given Year 7 enrolments continue to outstrip capacity despite strict enforcement of the enrolment management plan.
“Meanwhile, kids don’t have enough toilets, they have lost their student support areas, had their lab time limited and are already learning on demountables built over their play areas.
“If this stupid decision isn’t reversed we’ll have a school full of Harry Potters, studying in storage cupboards because Labor couldn’t get their act together and build them some real classrooms.
“This is a risk to teacher wellbeing and frankly an embarrassment for a Labor Government to be failing our state schools so outrageously.
“A good Government would be planning for a new high school on the west side right now.
“Instead, they’re planning a $2 billion Gabba rebuild that will destroy another state school.’’
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