6th April 2011

A Dallas special school continues to wait for a $9 million State Government rebuilding commitment.

Hume Valley School principal Diane Bassett met a representative from Education Minister Martin Dixon’s office in the city last week.

But Mr Dixon did not attend the meeting. Ms Bassett said the meeting was positive but the school remained anxious about whether desperately needed facilities including new classrooms, bathrooms and office space would be funded.

“I’m pleased that both political parties have shown an interest in pursuing it for us but obviously we would really like a timeline,” she said. “We made it very clear that the school needs more flexible spaces to enable 21st-century teaching and learning and to make the most of all the time and energy we have put into the project.” Mr Dixon told Parliament last month he would consider money for the school, after a challenge from Broadmeadows Labor MP Frank McGuire.

It is the only school in the Broadmeadows Schools Regeneration Project that had not been funded, despite Labor spending more than $60 million on 16 other schools. The school is unsure whether they will ever receive the new facilities.