Which Gold Coast schools get budget boost as State Government prepares for high school growth

THE State Government will splash $250 million on schools in tomorrow’s budget. These are the Gold Coast schools who will be smiling.

GOLD Coast students in the city’s fast growing northern suburbs are poised to benefit the most from the State Government’s $250 million budget education infrastructure spend.

More than $50 million worth of new schools facilities will be announced for the Coast at tomorrow’s State Budget.

Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon said the ‘2020 Ready’ funding boost would support eight high schools on the Coast to accommodate the first full complement of secondary students in Years 7 to 12.

Labor's Meaghan Scanlon at Pacific Pines — a school in her electorate will be upgraded. Photo by Richard Gosling

“In 2020, for the very first time in Queensland’s history, our high schools will have a full complement of students across all six year levels,” Ms Scanlon told the Bulletin.

“Our Government’s $250 million boost will ensure schools on the Gold Coast can accommodate the additional students expected in our high schools in 2020 and into the future.”

The Gold Coast schools ‘2020 ready’ projects in 2018-19 — 2019-20 include.

* Helensvale State High more than $13 million for new classroom building

* Ormeau Woods State High $9.7 million for new classroom building

* Pacific Pines State High $8 million for new classroom building

* Palm Beach-Currumbin State High $9.2 million for new classroom building

* Pimpama State Secondary College more than $24 million for new classroom buildings, a new performing arts centre and carpark

* Southport State High $10 million for new two storey classroom building

* Varsity College $2 million to refurbish senior learning centre building

* Tamborine Mountain State High $13.6 million for new classroom building

Education Minister Grace Grace said the Government’s $250 million infrastructure investment would support an anticipated 17,000 additional students across the state.

Education Minister Grace Grace who announced details of the school funding program. Photographer: Liam Kidston

“This funding is a major boost which will mean more than $470 million has been invested by this Government over the period 2017-18 to 2019-20 to increase the capacity of our state secondary schools,” she said.

“The ‘2020 Ready’ program signals the next phase of Queensland’s major education reforms, which started more than a decade ago.

“In 2007, the State Labor Government gave Queensland children a flying start with the introduction of prep, which we supported with additional, specialist classrooms for preppies.

“As you may remember, Queensland’s first intake of preppies were those whose birthdays were in the first half of the calendar year — meaning theirs has always been a much smaller cohort of students, known as the ‘half cohort’.

“Our next educational reform came in 2015, when we moved Year 7 into high school and established six years of secondary education, which was also supported with significant infrastructure investment.

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Ormeau Woods is one school to benefit from funding in the State Budget.

“However, our smaller ‘half cohort’ has been in high school since 2015 too — meaning we have never had the full complement of students across all six year levels in our secondary schools.”

Ms Grace said high schools had been cushioned against the impact of having six full year levels of students.

“With the original Prep students set to graduate from high school at the end of 2019, we will have — for the very first time — six full year levels of students in Queensland secondary schools from 2020,” she said.

“This new $250 million investment for additional classrooms will prepare those schools identified as requiring additional capacity for the additional students expected in 2020.”