$2 Million Upgrade For St Francis Xavier Primary

$2 Million Upgrade For St Francis Xavier Primary  Main Image

13 December 2019

St Francis Xavier School students will soon be learning in new facilities, thanks to a $2 million investment from the Andrews Labor Government.

Member for Buninyong, Michaela Settle today visited St Francis Xavier School to announce the $2 million investment toward Stage 2BA of the school’s Master plan.

The project will upgrade facilities in this growing regional school.

It will see construction of six new general purpose classrooms, a staff work area, student amenities, and circulation. It will accommodate 144 students across 2-year levels.

The new classrooms will provide regional students with first-class educational facilities, improved disability access, as well as accommodating the growth in enrolment at the school.

The project will also ensure that St Francis Xavier School teachers have first-class facilities to give their students the 21st century education they deserve.

The school is one of dozens that will share in more than $70 million to build and upgrade facilities, giving students better schools and the best start in life.

Victoria is growing faster than any other state, with 115,000 extra students expected to enter the education system over the next five years. With more than one-third of students in Victoria attending non-government schools, the Labor Government is ensuring these sectors are also capable of helping the state meet this demand.

The Labor Government’s $402 million Non-Government Schools Capital Fund will be distributed over four years and is for building new schools as well as increasing capacity or upgrading facilities at existing schools. It also supports the removal of asbestos and cladding in these schools.

The Labor Government has also introduced a streamlined planning permit process for non-government schools that receive funding under the fund. The process will boost the capacity of the education sector to effectively manage current and forecast demand for school infrastructure in the state.

The announcement today is part of a record $1.82 billion investment in Victoria’s education infrastructure in the Victorian Budget 2019/20 – delivering on the Labor Government’s promise to make Victoria the Education State.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Education James Merlino

“Every student deserves access to modern school facilities and with more than a third of Victorian students attending non-government schools, they’ll be sharing in our record investment.”

 

Quotes attributable to Member for Buninyong Michaela Settle

“This $2 million funding for St Francis Xavier School is an exciting announcement and means more children in our region will have access to excellent school facilities to give them the best start in life.”