Opening date for new Box Hill High School brought forward under demountables plan

Teenage school students initially missed out when the NSW government announced it would build a brand-new – albeit temporary – primary school in Box Hill. Now, the Education Minister is making it right.

Kids in the suburb that Sydney forgot will soon be able to remain in their own neighbourhood to study, as an explosion in the teenage population of Box Hill prompts the state government to build a new high school ahead of schedule.

The booming northwestern suburb is now estimated to have more 1180 residents aged between 12 and 18 — up from just 58 in 2018 according to Department of Education figures — all of whom are currently trekking to the overflowing Rouse Hill High School or nearby private schools like Santa Sophia Catholic College in Gables.

Teenage school students initially missed out when the NSW government announced it would build a brand-new – albeit temporary – primary school in Box Hill in less than seven weeks, but now Year 7s will also have access to urgent stopgap facilities for the 2026 school year.

The temporary high school is to be co-located with the primary school and will be assembled from a patchwork of demountable pieces, some of which will be shipped over from Melonba, where permanent facilities opened this year.

Up to 300 Year 7 and 8 students will both inhabit the temporary school for the 2027 school year, with all cohorts moving into permanent classrooms – as originally promised – on day one, term one 2028.

The temporary Box Hill Public School, which was built in 45 days. A high school for 300 students will now follow. Picture: Tim Hunter

Despite the new Box Hill High School’s transient nature, it will still include 12 classrooms, a library, canteen, art room, science lab, woodwork and metalwork shops, 43-space car park, playground and other standard amenities.

Education Minister Prue Car said the “fast-tracked” schools were an example of the Minns government’s focus on “reversing the mistakes” made by their Coalition predecessors.

Prue Car visits the Box Hill Public School site during construction.

Federal MPs Milton Dick and Michelle Rowland with seven-year-old students Declan Reed, Anika Rana, Palak Dundas and Deviaan Bhatia at Box Hill. Picture: Tim Hunter

“Our government is committed to building the vital school infrastructure our growing communities need, so every child can access a high-quality public school in their local area,” she said.

The announcement comes after The Daily Telegraph campaigned successfully last year on behalf of the frustrated families who spent millions building and buying new homes in Box Hill, moving in only to find schools, roads and critical community infrastructure were incomplete or entirely absent.

Last year a NSW Department of Education audit of enrolment growth found the number of students in Box Hill and the adjoining suburb of Nelson has increased 1114 per cent between 2018 and 2023.

Population projections created in 2016 estimated there would be 800 students living in the area by 2023. In reality, it was almost double.

Box Hill has been redistributed into the federal electorate of Greenway, a safe Labor seat currently held by Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, for the 2025 election.

It was previously included in the safe Liberal seat of Mitchell, and notionally votes Liberal.

“For too long, families in Box Hill have been left behind by the Liberals – this changes under Labor,” Ms Rowland said.

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Originally published as Opening date for new Box Hill High School brought forward under demountables plan