Public schools like Marsden, Cheltenham and Epping West with works overdue

SCHOOLS in the northern district are due $18,193,721 in infrastructure maintenance works, according to a list of each school’s need.

Raised hand in classroom. Picture: Thinkstock

SCHOOLS in the northern district are due $18,193,721 in infrastructure maintenance works, according to a list of each school’s need.

Marsden High School, Cheltenham Girls High School and Epping West Public School were among the 30 schools with most work required.

The works relate to bringing infrastructure — such as buildings, fencing and toilets — up to standard.

They do not cover requests like adding airconditioning, which would be capital works.

Marsden High requires $2.1 million in works, the sixth most needy in the state, while Cheltenham Girls requires $1.9 million and Epping West $1.6 million.

Most of the schools in the area had works of less than $500,000 outstanding.

Teacher writing an equation. Picture: Thinkstock

The NSW Labor Party obtained the data through a public information request of the government.

Marsden High P&C committee president Marlicia Travis said the West Ryde school was an excellent one, and most parents and students accepted it operated in older buildings.

These opened in 1959.

“Older schools with older buildings do need more maintenance,” she said.

“It doesn’t look like there has been a lot of change in the structure of the building since it was built.”

A bitumen space near the library desperately needed upgrading, according to Mrs Travis, while some classrooms are without airconditioning.

The parents and citizens committee has contributed to many works.

Epping West parents and citizens committee president Ben Yee said he couldn’t see major infrastructure problems at the school.

“If you take a walk around the school I don’t see anything glaring or deficient,” he said.

“Really there is nothing of that ($1.6 million) order I can see.

“You don’t hear whining and whingeing from parents about things missing.”

A Department of Education spokesman said since 2011, the NSW Government had committed almost $4 billion to school infrastructure and maintenance.

More than $342 million was allocated to school maintenance in 2015-16.

Any maintenance matters at government schools that might present a work, health and safety issue are dealt with promptly to ensure the safety of students and staff, the spokesman said.

He said the Department undertakes regular maintenance of school facilities including preventive/statutory and routine maintenance, planned maintenance and urgent repairs.

Maintenance works for each school were devised on an annual basis with principals, according to the spokesman.

This is the backlog list:

Marsden High $2.1m

Cheltenham Girls $1.9m

Epping West $1.6m

Denistone East $1.1m

Ryde $1.1m

Carlingford West .$794,739

West Ryde $790,810

Epping Boys $758,066

Epping $742,189

Murray Farm $581,196

Hunters Hill High $538,557

Kent Road $534,014

Roselea Public $468,722

Epping North $458,571

North Ryde $432,167

Ryde East $372,538

Putney $371,237

Melrose Park $364,983

Epping Heights $346,332

Eastwood Heights .$338,156

Dundas $305,221

Beecroft $293,745

Riverside Girls $274,947

Meadowbank $267,524

Ryde Secondary$256,914

Hunters Hill Public
$245,887

Boronia Park $189,605

Gladesville $168,541

Carlingford Public $149,490

Carlingford High $148,438

Eastwood $77,271

Truscott Street $76,378

Karonga $47,483