Acting Premier John Thwaites and Member for Altona and Minister for Education Lynne Kosky announced the plan at the Laverton Forum on Thursday.
Laverton Primary School, Laverton Plains Primary School and Laverton Secondary College will be amalgamated into the new school, which will offer classes for students from prep to year 12 (P-12). The new school will be built on the current Laverton Secondary College site.
Laverton Plains Primary School will be converted into the Western Autistic School, while the Laverton Primary School site will be redeveloped for housing under the proposed plan.
News of the new school was widely seen as a major step in the continuing effort to revitalise Laverton, a four-year push that has gained momentum recently, peaking with the Laverton Forum.
The forum brought all levels of government and the community together, to discuss ways the area could be improved for people who live, study and work there, and builds on local and council initiatives like the Laverton Together project.
Hobsons Bay mayor Carl Marsich said Laverton had been identified as a targeted area for renewal by the State Government, one of three selected localities across Victoria.
Laverton Secondary College principal Henry Szkuta said the new school was the culmination of four year’s hard work on the Laverton revival plan, which identified building a new P-12 college as a priority.
Mr Szkuta said that after years of petrol stations, post offices and banks closing in Laverton, it was about time that local people received some good news and up-to-date facilities.
“It became like the Bronx here, and that was reflected in the kids’ attitude as well.”
Mr Szkuta said new facilities planned for the school would also create a technology area, available for other institutions to use after school hours for engineering and computer subjects.
“This is a great boost for education here and we are going to be incorporating community uses, so it doesn’t become and institution that is only used six hours a day, five days a week.
“The community should be part of the education process for young people and this is what we will be trying to achieve at the school.”
The Laverton Forum marked the beginning of the delivery phase for many initiatives planned over the past four years.
Cr Marsich said $200,000 a year was available for the next three years to coordinate local initiatives to improve Laverton, in addition to other funds allocated to improving the Western suburbs.
“We’ve done a lot of the ground work so we’re hopeful that we will be able to get access to that money fairly quickly.”
Senior bureaucrats who will be signing off on the Laverton projects, including many local initiatives, were available to exchange ideas and information with the council and the community.
Cr Marsich said it was a “huge positive” that these people could attend the forum in person, and that he hoped the event would be a “launching pad for positive change in the Laverton area”.
Phillip Jackson, president of the school council at Laverton Secondary College, said the new school was excellent news for local parents and students.
“It’s going to improve education in the Laverton area and it might get a few more kids staying closer to Laverton rather than travelling to Altona or Williamstown.”
Mr Jackson said the P-12 structure of the school would provide much needed continuity for students.
“It’s a lot easier for the kids. There is no transition period and they get to know other students and the teachers.”
Paul Lishman, principal at Laverton Primary School said schools in the area had been working towards getting new school in Laverton for a number of years.
“We’re excited by the decision. It’s a great step forward for the Laverton community.
“The P-12 college will provide greater access to education for all our students, in a state of the art facility.”
Ms Kosky said planning could now begin for the new school, with funds allocated this financial year.
