Lancaster Primary School principal Trish Perry says it’s her school’s time for an upgrade. The recently announced Victorian budget shows $500,000 allocated to the school to upgrade its infrastructure.
Photo by
Jemma Jones
Whatever opinion you may have on the 2025 budget, locals can at the very least be happy about a slice of funding coming to Lancaster Primary School.
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The school has been allocated $500,000 from the state government to plan the development of a new learning space.
The school is home to 35 students and three full-time teachers this year, with principal Trish Perry at the helm of the small but connected school.
Ms Perry said she hadn’t expected the funding, but that it had been a long time coming for the buildings.
While the school cherishes its historic buildings, some nearing 150 years old, Ms Perry acknowledges the need to modernise facilities to meet the evolving needs of today’s students.
The Weller Rd school, while small, is mighty in pride, with an emphasis on supporting younger students who don’t fit into the P-12 settings.
“I think it was just our turn. (The Victorian Government) started this (program) 10 years ago — modernising schools — and as you can see, our school is not that modern,” Ms Perry said.
She has been at the school for 20 years, said she was glad to get the ball rolling on the updates, starting with a rigorous planning process to pitch to the planning minister.
“I’ve got six weeks to do a lot of work; to get an overview of the school history, what learning looks like now, and what it’s going to look like in the future,” she said.
“It’s nice because we haven’t had money to spend on this place in a while.”
Victorian Treasurer Jaclyn Symes said the 2025 budget had a particular focus on what would benefit families across the state.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
State Member for Northern Victoria and Treasurer Jaclyn Symes said this year Labor wanted the budget to spotlight all families in all corners of Victoria.
“With this budget — my first as treasurer — we’re focused on what matters most to Victorian families,” she said.
“That means real help with the cost of living and more investment in frontline services.”
Yarrawonga College and Broadford Secondary College were also allocated $500,000 to plan new learning spaces.
Labor has also committed to making public transport free for all Victorians under-18 from January 1, 2026.
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