[COM] Super Schools | $216m

[rhino]

Rann turns to Canberra
John Wiseman | November 07, 2008

SOUTH Australia is staring at a $400 million budget blackhole, which will wipe out projected surpluses for years to come, but the Rann Government is clinging to hopes that it can still oversee record spending on infrastructure.
It is relying on Canberra to make that possible, while state Treasury officials are poring over the state's finances and projects to determine what the budgetary red ink will cross out.
Public sector job losses, spending cuts and deferment or cancellation of major capital works are on the table, but Treasurer Kevin Foley refuses to reveal the impacts until next month's mid-year economic review.
He has already deferred $500billion in spending on a new prison complex.
South Australia will lose $126million from the GST this financial year.
State tax revenue is estimated to fall by $100 million, but if unemployment rises and the property market slows, that figure could rise markedly.
The Treasurer has to find an extra $150 million to cover unfunded superannuation liabilities.

Mr Foley has quarantined from the chopping block plans for a series of superschools, the $1.7billion new central hospital and $1.4 billion desalination plant.

Premier Mike Rann hopes the Rudd Government will rescue the centrepiece of the last state budget -- a $2 billion electrification of Adelaide's rail network and extension of its tram lines.
The Premier said yesterday that while the state would have to "trim its sails" it could bring several projects forward.
He said he hoped to receive a positive announcement from the Rudd Government next month to fund the rail electrification.


Looks like the Super Schools are back on the table.

[Prince George]

Can somebody post just what the Superschools plan is? Is it something along the lines of "close a whole bunch of smaller schools and build a few monolithic schools from R-12"?

[rhino]

It is kind of like that. The schools to be closed are generally outdated and need a lot of money spent on them, and/or have low student numbers. The new schools will be modern, with the facilities expected from today's schools, and because of the greater number of students, more subjects and more services can be offered. I believe this will include school dental units and maybe health centres as well. Small schools are good for creating communities, but realistically, if you come out at the other end with a great sense of community but lacking in education due to funds not being available to support the many and varied subjects and programs on offer at the bigger schools, are you really better off? This amalgamation and creation of "super schools" happened in the rural areas in the 1970s. Small one-room schools with a dozen kids were shut down, and area schools created. Sure, the school was in the middle of the fields, far from any towns (e.g. Miltaburra or Karcultaby on the Eyre Peninsula), and the kids had to use a school bus instead of walking or riding their bikes, but they got a much better education.

[Wilfy 2007]

Gidday,

According to a friend of mine who lives in Ingle Farm there is a Super School to be built at Northfield/Gepps cross on the Spare land up from the Gepps Cross Sports Stadium/Woolworths complex.

Briens road is to be widened to 4 lanes as well.

With a transport hub in front of the school.

Anybody else have info on this?

Regards,

[AtD]

Briens Road is already four lanes. It could do with a median and turning lanes, though.

[raulduke]

anybody know who picked this one up - bids closed months ago

[Cruise]

On the corner of peachey road and davoren road there is a sign up saying the super school is going ahead

[raulduke]

Yeah therres one at the corner of coventry and curtis aswell

from memory when i worked on this each consortia were responsible for site selection, cant remember who had these sites pegged

[aussie2000]

theres also one on the bridge road side of the state sports park at gepps cross

[raulduke]

interesting that the 1350 student school at munno parra is supposed to open next year, yet the successful bidder has not been announced!

what has happened with this?

[steveadl]

Here ya go: http://www.educationworks.sa.edu.au/

[raulduke]

notjing about who the preferred bidder is

although it appears there are siteworks going on at cnr curtis and coventry road

[raulduke]

what has happened to this - given that the first school is due to open next year, there hasn't been any action on it

perhaps the funding has gotten complicated?

[Norman]

I think a contractor has been selected now and building has commenced or will commence shortly. The one in Munno Para or Smithfield is the first to be completed.

[Radelaide]

thursday will be annoucement day for all school stiumuls projects. expect all the big contractors to be employed as managing contractors for multiple projects ah la what has happened in the eastern states