Building works on a new $4 million multi-purpose facility at Katoomba High could start as soon as April.
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State Member for Blue Mountains, Trish Doyle, recently visited the school to catch up on how plans for the facility were going with new principal Tess Devine.
In February last year NSW Labor's then Opposition Education Minister Prue Car made an election pledge to build the facility at the Upper Mountains state high school. It followed a visit months earlier by the then Opposition Leader Chris Minns who toured the school and spoke to current students, seeing first hand some of the ageing facilities at the 1960s-built public high school.
At the time Ms Car, joined Ms Doyle outside the school, with members of the Parents and Citizens Association. She promised if Labor was elected to have the multi-purpose building ready for the end-of-school graduation ceremony in 2024. Labor won the election in March last year and Premier Minns, Ms Car and Ms Doyle are keeping good on the promise.
Ms Doyle said a year ago the new hall was necessary because the high school's ageing gymnasium had "fallen into disrepair" and was "dangerous" with a "gym floor that buckles" and a "roof that leaks in bad weather".
The new multi-purpose facility will have a stage, indoor sports courts, toilets, storage and back-of-house facilities for performing arts. There will also be a covered walkway joining to the rest of the school and covered outdoor area.
A former teacher, Trish Doyle said "educating the next generation is one of the most crucial responsibilities we have".
"Providing decent, reliable, purpose-built infrastructure for that education to take place is a vital part of the process. I understand how important the school environment is and I am so pleased that Katoomba High students will soon have the opportunity to enjoy a facility that meets their needs."
Katoomba High principal, Tess Devine said the school community was "so excited about our new multipurpose facility".
"Statutory approval is anticipated in the coming weeks, with works to commence on site soon after, so it is starting to become a reality for us all," she said on February 23.
"Staff and students are already talking about the ways we can best utilise the new facility and the benefits it will have for our sporting teams, performing arts and community events," Ms Devine said.
The school also generously plans to offer the space to local primary schools.
"I'm particularly excited that we will be able to work with our upper Blue Mountains Primary School community to share this space and hopefully do even more joint activities"
The state government is investing $3.5 billion for new and upgraded schools across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
In a statement it said the targeted investment "highlights the Minns' government's focus on local communities and ensuring that working families get access to a world class public education".
The news comes after The Sydney Morning Herald revealed five private schools spent more on capital works than 3300 public schools.
The schools - Cranbrook School, Barker College and Abbotsleigh College in NSW, and Caulfield Grammar and Loreto Mandeville Hall in Victoria - spent a combined $175.6 million on capital works in 2021 - more than all governments spent that year on capital works at half of the nation's 6699 public schools.
The report from the Australian Education Union researchers showed school spending on capital works via Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority data, taking in both government funding and money spent by non-government schools from other large revenue sources such as parent fees, investments and donations.
