More than $200,000 in re-allocated funding and a visit from NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian was enough to brush aside lingering concerns for North Wagga Public School’s future.
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The school’s longevity was first called into question last year after plans for a second school near Estella became known, sparking widespread community outrage.
Spokespeople from the Department of Education and Wagga City Council in September this year confirmed both parties were investigating “suitable sites” around a “northern growth area” to “ensure the best outcome for the community”.
Though community fears were mostly allayed after the Department of Education announced it had “no plans to close North Wagga School”, Ms Berejiklian’s visit on Tuesday and subsequent announcement was enough to convince principal Mandy Crocker that her school’s future was secure.
“North Wagga Public School is such an important institution out here and we’re so excited to have the premier’s support,” Ms Crocker said.
“We have so much more flexibility under the new resource allocation model because it’s no long a one-size-fits-all model.
“Now we can ensure our students are learning from the best teachers and provide as much training and access to opportunities to our teachers as possible.”
Member for Wagga Wagga Daryl Maguire said the school was an example of how needs-based funding was delivering results throughout the electorate.
“Whether it’s needs-based funding or building new facilities across Wagga to meet our region’s growth, the NSW government is putting our local students first,” Mr Maguire said.
Speaking with student leaders and staff on Tuesday, Ms Berejiklian personally assured the North Wagga Public School community their future was safe and noted significant literary and mathematical improvements through the student cohort in 2017.
“This year North Wagga Public have place strong emphasis on improving writing skills across the school, as well as boosting the ‘Premier’s Priorities’ around reading and mathematics,” Ms Berejiklian said.
The premier heralded the $14 million allocated to Wagga schools under the latest resource allocation model as her government’s commitment to “educational outcomes”.
“Not only have we invested more in schools, we have also provided a fairer and more effective funding model that continues to provide students with resources that reflects the individual needs of students,” she said.
“I’m a product of the public education system myself … and I want to see students get the same opportunities I had when I went though.”
Ms Berejiklian suggested funds could go towards essential school items like teachers aides and learning technology for the classroom.
Ms Crocker said that while the ‘Premier’s Priorities’ of reading and writing were being addressed, additional funding would ensure an authentic learning experience for North Wagga students.
“If we can provide students with the best and most up-to-date teachers, everyone wins,” she said.
“What’s more is that we’re not just a Wagga school - we’re a tight-knit rural school tacked onto the city and our community reflects that.”
The principal dismissed suggestions that the development of nearby schools could impact on her cohort and welcomed prospective neighbours.
“People say that having new schools built nearby make you rivals to those schools but that’s just not true,” she said.
“It’s not a case of opposing schools and we’ve never been in competition with other schools, in fact it’s entirely the opposite.
“We’re not an island and public schools should be supporting each other at all times.”