Wimmera schools have cashed in at the state budget with tens of millions of dollars to be spent upgrading and modernising school facilities.
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Rainbow P-12 College, Hopetoun P-12 College, Horsham Special School and Natimuk Primary School will share in more than $30 million in government funds.
More than $11 million will be directed to Rainbow P-12 College, while $9.5 million is earmarked for Hopetoun P-12 College, in addition to $1 million the school received earlier in the year.
Hopetoun P-12 College principal Graeme Holmes said he hoped the funds would provide for a completely new building for the college's 80 students.
"We have a 1960s pebble rock secondary college building that has a science and food technology room in a bad state," Mr Holmes said.
"It's hoped that money will give us a completely new building that will incorporate science, technology, food technology, open spaces and classrooms."
The state has allocated $3 billion to school upgrades, including $1.1 billion as part of the previously announced Building Works Package and a further $1.9 billion to roll out the next phase of the school building boom.
The budget revealed an investment of nearly $1.6 million to make sure students with disability are supported in the classroom through an Australian first Disability Inclusion package.
The investment will double the number of students receiving extra support in the classroom and create 1730 jobs by 2025.
Minister for Education James Merlino said all schools will benefit from the change, enabling them to better support students who may have previously been ineligible for targeted support, such as those with autism, dyslexia or complex behaviours.
"This is the biggest change in disability support in our schools Victoria has ever seen and it will make a difference in classrooms and to kids across the state," Mr Merlino said.
Horsham Special School acting principal Meg Woolford welcomed $8.4 million of funding, which will be used to upgrade facilities at the school
"We currently have 86 students and this funding will provide support to some of the most vulnerable students in our community by allowing for a more specialised approach to teaching and learning," Ms Woolford said.
Member for Western Victoria Jaala Pulford said the government's investment ensures every Victorian school is well maintained and safe.
"The government is investing an unprecedented $7.2 billion in Victorian school infrastructure, which is delivering more than 1460 school upgrades and 100 new schools by 2026," Ms Pulford said.
Shadow Minister for Education Cindy McLeish said the government is playing politics with our children.
"Less than nine per cent of the $70 million in funding allocated to essential maintenance and compliance is to be spent this financial year," Ms McLeish said.
"Our kids and economy desperately need these works fast tracked."
"School funding must be released now instead of being used as a campaigning tool by the government in the lead up to the 2022 state election."
The government's education spend includes $773.8 million for early childhood education, including $169.6 million to cover the cost of kinder for up to 100,000 Victorian families.
TAFE will see a $1 billion investment, with $631.4 million for extra training places, $155.4 million to increase access to TAFEs and Registered Training Organisations and $57 million for rapid retraining of workers into high-priority industries.
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