It was an election commitment for the Andrews Labor Government, and now the dream is becoming a reality for staff and students of Sale Specialist School, as construction starts on their new school.

In the 2015-16 State Budget, the Labor Government allocated $7.6 million to rebuild Sale Specialist School from the ground up, bringing the school’s three current campuses together on the one site.

The local community has been campaigning for a new school following continued growth in enrolment numbers.

The new Sale Specialist School will provide students and their teachers with the space and high-quality facilities needed to learn and grow.

The Labor Government is committed to completing the project, to the full master plan, without the requirement for staged building works. This will ensure that the new Sale Specialist School is able to open its doors in 2017.

The Andrews Labor Government is building the Education State so that every Victorian gets the opportunity for a great education and every community has access to a great school.

This means delivering the money needed for new buildings, new upgrades and entirely new schools for our kids – because you can’t get a first-rate education in second-rate classrooms.

The Victorian Budget 2016/17 invests over $924 million in building new schools and upgrading classrooms, while a $200 million funding boost will help us better maintain existing school facilities.

This includes $375 million to plan, upgrade and rebuild at least 147 schools – 87 of them in Melbourne’s suburbs and 60 in regional Victoria.

The Budget also provides the investment needed to plan, acquire land for and build a total of 23 new schools.

Quotes attributable to Member for Eastern Victoria ,Harriet Shing:

“Our kids can’t get a first-rate education in second-rate classrooms and it’s been a pleasure to work so closely with the Sale Specialist School community to secure the funding for a new school.

“Once complete, the school will give students and staff the learning environment they deserve, and that they have desperately needed for so long.

“The Andrews Labor Government has committed to a new Sale Specialist School and we will deliver it in full”.