19/12/01
Koongamia Primary School will undergo a $3million redevelopment as part of an amalgamation with Bellevue Primary, Education Minister Alan Carpenter announced today.
Mr Carpenter said that more than 18 months of planning and public consultation had shown amalgamating the schools at the newer school was the best option for students from both communities.
The refurbishment will start in 2003 and be completed by mid-2004. Bellevue Primary School - which is only 2km from the Koongamia site - will then close and its students move to their new school.
"The building program will involve the construction of several new classroom blocks, provision of facilities for art-craft and music classes and the installation of fibre-optic cabling to connect all classrooms and the school library by computer," Mr Carpenter said.
"After the upgrade and extension, Koongamia Primary School will be up to the standard of the best new schools in the State."
Mr Carpenter said parents from both schools knew the decision would be very difficult and the one he made was in the best interests of all students.
A Local Area Education Planning process to determine the future of the two schools took place in 1999 and a number of options were released for community comment.
They included amalgamating the schools on the Bellevue Primary School site and upgrading the school; building a new school adjacent to Goodchild oval in Bellevue; amalgamating the schools on the Koongamia Primary School site and upgrading the school.
Mr Carpenter said the community was divided on the options, with parents from both schools strongly supporting retention of their own schools. As a result, the Swan Education District conducted further consultation.
"The secondary consultation confirmed the division between the two communities over the location so the decision was based on the best outcome for both groups of students," he said.
"Bellevue Primary is almost 90 years old - its proximity to the intersection of two major highways and small 1.2ha site make redevelopment of the school unsuitable.
"Koongamia Primary School is on an excellent, large site - 3.6ha - and, though in need of repair, is much newer."
As well as additional and refurbished facilities, Mr Carpenter said the new school would offer increased curriculum choice for students, give greater access to specialist teaching staff and to additional educational resources, particularly information technology.
"The scope and design of the new facilities will be developed in consultation with the school community," he said.
"I hope parents will support this project to ensure the redevelopment of the school provides the best possible education for their children.
"To help with the changes, a $200 uniform allowance will be made available to students who are enrolled at Bellevue and Koongamia in 2003."
The Department of Education will look at options for the Bellevue site once students have moved to Koongamia.
Minister's office: 9213 6800
