School principal Michael Hill, school captains Michael and Chloe and MP Tammy Lobato look over plans for the school.
By Mara Pattison-Sowden
STUDENTS, parents and teachers are to help redesign Upper Yarra Secondary College.
They will be working with a government architect to design their school of the future.
Principal Michael Hill said the news was exciting for the students and for the wider community.
“It’s a great opportunity to place our 21st century students in a 21st century learning environment,” he said.
“This is a sign of the wider Victorian community prepared to invest in the Upper Yarra.”
The college was last week included in the State Government’s Building Futures program under which it is hoped most of the school will be rebuilt.
Mr Hill said the school had been approved to create a $14,000 master plan with help from education department architects. “They will go and cost it and then we will lobby the Treasury for the rebuild,” he said.
“We couldn’t just go to the government and say we want a new school – we need to take this master plan to them and show them what we want.”
Mr Hill said the school had spent half a million dollars on new school programs, but the design of the school – built in 1960 – had made them difficult to implement.
The school will keep its Year 7, VCE and technology areas that were upgraded 10 years ago.
Mr Hill said MP Tammy Lobato had been a great supporter of the school. “She has been lobbying very hard for us.”
Ms Lobato told the school last week that it could begin work on the master plan.
“This school is vital in providing education to so many families in the Upper Yarra and is an important education stepping stone for our young people, who then take up further study and work opportunities,” Ms Lobato said.
“The school community can now work on its blueprint for the future and this will translate into new facilities and a better learning environment, which will in turn lead to improved student outcomes.”
As designs begin on a new school for the future, current students will soon be enjoying new heaters while the cold weather lasts. Mr Hill said the school had received a $400,000 grant to upgrade from LP gas to natural gas.
“The new heaters are getting put in now, which will save us a fair bit of money and the system is more efficient,” he said.
