By Mitchell Clarke
Families in Pakenham are a step closer to having a new local school after a site was secured to build the Henry Road Secondary College.
Set to open to students in 2021, Member for Bass electorate Jordan Crugnale announced on Wednesday 4 September the land on the corner of Caversham Drive and Henry Road, Pakenham had been purchased and was ready to begin works on the school.
The secondary college is part of the state government’s school building boom which will see 100 new government schools open by 2026, with nine new schools opening this year and more than 1400 building projects underway.
It comes after parents drove a campaign for a government secondary school to be built adjacent to the John Henry Primary School.
“We listened to local parents, guardians and the school community all calling for a second high school in Pakenham and today we celebrate the land acquisition and being that step closer,” Ms Crugnale said.
“We’re ensuring every child can have a great education at their local public school.”
The yet to be named school received funding in the 2018-19 State Budget and also was allocated a share of $624.8 million for new schools in the 2019-20 budget.
The Victorian School Building Authority is set to appoint a principal in 2020, with the focus of recruiting staff and setting the future direction of the school.
