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Building The Education State Brick By Brick In The Yarra Ranges

03 May 2017

Families in the Yarra Ranges will benefit from upgrades to local schools, thanks to the Andrews Labor Government.

Minister for Education James Merlino today visited Monbulk College and Upwey High School to announce an almost $18 million funding boost for school upgrades that will benefit near 1,300 students.

Upwey High School will receive $10 million to build four new competition grade basketball courts, music and drama facilities, a new home for the Dandenong Ranges Music Council, and administration facilities.

A $7.6 million funding boost for Monbulk College will enable the school to build brand new classrooms, specialist spaces for information and communication technologies and art and fabrics as well as the refurbishment of an administration building.

The funding for Upwey High School and Monbulk College comes on top of funding for other schools in the Yarra Ranges region. Yarra Ranges Special Development School has received a funding boost of $500,000, Lilydale Primary School $804,000 and Lilydale West Primary School more than $2.1 million, to upgrade and modernise their facilities.

Funding will also go towards the Lilydale and Upper Yarra Secondary Schools Plan. This will involve both master planning and a look into further provision across Lilydale High School, Lilydale Heights College and Upper Yarra Secondary College. Stakeholder consultation will begin soon, along with facilities and enrolment planning to ensure the long-term future of the three schools.

The projects are part of a $685 million investment announced in the Victorian Budget 2017/18 to improve classrooms, upgrade facilities and build new schools across the state as well as creating local jobs.

$195 million will go towards upgrading and modernising 59 regional schools and 49 metropolitan schools, including Monbulk Secondary and Upwey High. The projects include new classrooms, STEM facilities, gymnasiums and playgrounds.

The funding brings the Labor Government’s total investment in our schools to more than $2.5 billion, including over 1,000 existing school projects and 56 new schools.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Education James Merlino:

“Across our state, we want to make sure that our schools have the best facilities, our classrooms have the best teachers and that every child is given every chance to succeed.”

“Students from Monbulk College and Upwey High School are among more than 100 Victorian schools to receive the upgrades they deserve.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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