By Charlene Gatt
THE Sky High group is calling on LeadWest to champion its cause for a high school in the Seddon, Kingsville and Yarraville (SKY) area.
In a presentation at last week’s Community Access and Strategic Policy (CASP) meeting, SKY High member Janine Lloyd said the municipality’s baby boom would force the need for more schools in coming decades.
Ms Lloyd said births had spiked by 30 per cent in the SKY area since the 2006 census, compared to a 12 per cent growth across the rest of the municipality.
SKY High estimates there will be 248 Year 7 and 8 students in 2010, which will grow to 1420 in 2030.
Fitzroy High School, which was re-opened in 2004 after prolonged community protesting, had only 135 when it started up again.
Ms Lloyd said students and their families deserved the right to have a school within walking distance of their homes.
Footscray City College and Maribyrnong Secondary College are the closest options for residents in the SKY area.
After repeated attempts to get a school opened in the area, SKY High is preparing a comprehensive report for the Department of Education in another bid to argue its case.
The group is hoping the support of LeadWest might give them the extra support they need.
The Department of Education has previously knocked back the idea of opening another school in the area, but has told SKY High it would consider transforming a primary school to a prep to nine or prep to 12 school, but only if a primary school would consent to the change.
A study conducted by the group last year found that 10 per cent of families had moved suburbs to open up high school options, while 51 per cent were considering a move.
The group has garnered much interest from the council over the years. Mayor Michael Clarke is one of the group’s founding fathers, Sheoak Ward councillor Martin Zakharov is the current president and Bluestone Ward councillor Catherine Cumming is one of its members.
Maribyrnong City Council CEO Kerry Thompson, who is a member of LeadWest, said she was not sure if LeadWest would tackle such a separate local issue, but said it might be taken on as a campaign to tackle education in the West.
