Colo High School will see a funding injection of $1,550,000 as part of a $390 million spend on a new backlog repair blitz by the state government.
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Colo’s funding is the second largest spend on a NSW school behind Great Lakes College in Forster which received $1.95m.
The funding does however fall short of estimates put forward to the education department for backlog allocation, with recent figures listing Colo’s funding backlog at $2,215,330.
Member for Hawkesbury Dominic Perrottet welcomed the funding announcement by Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Education Minister Rob Stokes.
“This is the single biggest injection in maintenance backlog spending in the State’s history,” Mr Perrottet said.
Ms Berejiklian said NSW government schools offered the highest quality of teaching and learning and it was essential that buildings and playgrounds were at a high standard.
“Well-maintained schools lead to better educational outcomes, and we want our schools to be in the best condition possible,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“An investment like this will ensure that those schools with the greatest need receive the most urgent attention.”
Under the program, roofing, floor coverings and painting, and other items will be fixed by December 2018.
Many schools will have little or no outstanding maintenance backlog after this blitz.
Many of the schools with the biggest backlog however, have been entirely omitted from the "special allocation" fund, including Marsden High School, which has the second largest backlog of $2,882,626; Hurlstone Agricultural High School, with a backlog of $2,693,879; and Northmead Creative and Performing Arts High School, which needs $2,170,645.
Mr Stokes said school maintenance would now be handled by the government's new agency, Education Infrastructure NSW, which is also leading a $5 billion plan to respond to an expected 21 per cent surge in school enrolments over 15 years that will require about 12 new schools to be built every year.
Mr Stokes said with a $25 billion property portfolio of 2,200 schools there will always be maintenance, but good management will keep the list as short as possible.
