By BRIDGET SCOTT
A SCHOOL community in Cranbourne has welcomed more than $600,000 in funding to save its school after it was placed under the threat of closure.
On Tuesday 21 October, Shadow Minister for Education James Merlino attended the Cranbourne South Primary School, to announce that under a future Labor Government, the school would be relocated to a new site next year.
Following this announcement, parents hit back at the school and said this was unnecessary and they were disappointed with the lack of communication between the school and its families.
While some parents agreed that the school needed a few upgrades, they said a relocation was not necessary.
Following the backlash, Liberal candidate for Cranbourne Geoff Ablett and Liberal candidate for Hastings Neale Burgess attended the school on Thursday 20 November to make a follow-up announcement.
The duo, alongside Minister for Education Martin Dixon, announced that the Coalition would provide $618,000 to save Cranbourne South Primary School from Labor’s threat of closure.
Principal of the school Joseph Kelly said that it was “fabulous news.”
“This money will go a long way,” he said.
Parent at the school Tarryn Campbell attended the announcement and said it was fantastic news.
“Go Liberal,” she said.
Ms Campbell was shocked earlier this year to hear that the school may be relocated, and said she was concerned that the principal was not acting in the school’s best interests.
She said that she hoped the school’s families would be informed about the Coalition’s announcement straight away.
She was also curious as to where the funds will go.
“What will the money be spent on,” she said.
“That will be the first question that the community asks.”
Mr Ablett, who is a former teacher, said it was a great announcement for the school.
“After Labor’s threat to close Cranbourne South Primary School, anxious parents have approached Neale Burgess and I,” he said.
“They are extremely troubled by Labor’s plan to pull apart the school community and have asked for an upgrade of the existing school instead,” Mr Ablett said.
Mr Burgess said there was no plan to shut down the existing grounds.
The Napthine Government is building three new primary schools in Cranbourne as part of a $223 million public-private partnership investment in new schools across Victoria.
This year’s budget also saw Cranbourne West Primary School receive $940,000 to upgrade its facilities on top of an additional $18,417 in additional maintenance funding since 2013.
