The new $24.8 million campus now houses 130 pre-school to Year 6 students along with 60 teachers and support staff, with about the same number of staff and Years 7 to 12 students remaining on the Verney Rd site pending stage two funding.
Further brick and cement foundations of the former Wanganui Park Secondary College remain in place at Parkside Dve and, like the first stage, will form part of the stage two expansion.
An Education Department spokesperson said all available information on the infrastructure needs of all schools was provided to the government as part of every State Budget process.
The spokesperson said this included school condition assessments, enrolment projections, and pre-existing project plans to balance the needs of more than 1570 government schools across Victoria.
While there will be efficiencies with the eventual single campus, the spokesperson said the interim arrangement is of great benefit to all students at Banmira Specialist School.
One of the biggest issues for students and staff at the old Verney Rd site had been lack of space.
The school was originally purpose-built for just 74 students in 1999 and had grown to well over 200 being housed at Verney Rd before the new site was funded and built.
Senior students now have plenty of space at the Verney Rd campus, while junior students enjoy the new facilities at Parkside Dve.
At the recent official opening of the new campus, State Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said the more than $24 million invested to date allowed a quick delivery of the first stage of works.
“Every single dollar of that was for you guys,” she told the assembled students, staff and guests.
“I have of course been briefed on the more work to be done.
“But it is of course amazing to celebrate what has been achieved today.”
