Catholics ready for almost 400-million-dollar school spend: the 54 sites where money will be spent

Heading into 2023, the Sunday Mail can reveal a whopping $391.5m has been earmarked for 64 capital development projects at 54 Catholic schools. Here’s the full list.

The Star of the Sea School students Ruby, Coby and his Riley take a sneak peek before school returns. Picture: Matt Loxton

Hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in Catholic schools across the state as the sector sets new enrolment records.

Heading into 2023, the Sunday Mail can reveal a sizeable $391.5m has been earmarked for 64 capital development projects at 54 of its 103 schools.

The projects scheduled to be completed in 2023 range from $80,000 for new fencing and construction at some sites to more than $50m for the planned new Nazareth senior campus.

The Findon Rd campus, to cater for 800 senior students, is set for completion this year.

Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) director Neil McGoran said the sector hit a milestone in September last year when enrolment surpassed 50,000 students for the first time.

“(We are) working to ensure our Catholic schools have the capacity to meet increasing enrolment demand, which has stemmed from a commitment to making Catholic education more affordable, inclusive, and accessible to all,” Dr McGoran said.

“The developments also ensure Catholic schools throughout South Australia continue to provide state-of-the-art facilities that meet the requirements of today’s teaching and learning both inside and outside of the classroom, as well as being beautiful and inspiring places for our students to learn and thrive.”

Projects being planned, designed or constructed include new and refurbished indoor and outdoor learning spaces, playgrounds, ovals, halls, gymnasiums, offices, technology upgrades and landscaping.

Major works include Xavier College’s Two Wells Campus, where $28m will have been invested by the end of 2023, including extra classrooms and a gym as the school expands to include up to year 9 in 2023.

At the new St Francis of Assisi College, Renmark, more than $14m will be spent on upgrades to the years 10 to 12 learning area and the gym, in back-to-back stages.

Meanwhile $16m will be invested at Tenison Woods College, Mt Gambier, on new junior primary school facilities.

A new double-storey contemporary science and art centre and innovation hub at Mary Mackillop College at Kensington is due to be finished at the start of 2024. The $10m landmark development is the largest the college has undertaken in two decades.

Work has been under way at a number of schools during the school holidays, including the Star of the Sea School at Henley Beach where the old, single-level administration building is being replaced by a three-storey construction to house administration offices, a staffroom and six new classrooms with breakout spaces.

Principal Damian Weeks said the upgrade reflects the school’s expanding enrolment.

“Ten years ago the school made the decision to increase (our) reception classes from

two to three … this new build brings this vision to life, as we will now have the capacity for three classes of every year level all the way to year 6 from 2024,” he said.

“The new project also includes the redevelopment of older classroom into new modern and beautiful spaces for specialist subjects, music rooms and various sized tutorial rooms to meet all the requirements of a high-quality teaching and learning environment.”

The $391.5m represents a combined total investment by CESA, the South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools and government.

Originally published as Catholics ready for almost 400-million-dollar school spend: the 54 sites where money will be spent