Education Department scotches rumour of incoming new high school as concerns rise about capacity planning

The Education Department has scotched rumours it’s ready to get underway on a new school project for Witchcliffe despite the southern part of the Augusta-Margaret River shire seeing strong growth. Changes to primary school catchment areas since Rapids Landing Primary School opened, combined with booming resident numbers in hamlets between Witchcliffe and Kudardup, was seeing a surge in enrolments for schools in the area. However, the department’s executive director of infrastructure Rob Thomson said analysis of a Witchcliffe site, earmarked at the polocrosse ground on Bussell Highway, showed it “will (only) be required over the long term”. “The department is monitoring residential development and resultant student enrolment growth in the locality,” Mr Thomson said. The news comes despite strong interest in other school options south of Margaret River. While the Witchcliffe Eco-Village and the forthcoming Arbour Margaret River subdivision flagged schools within their projects, any development of new primary schools as well as a possible private high school looked to remain years away. Figures provided to the Times backed up anecdotal remarks from local teachers student numbers were putting pressure on the shire’s established schools, but were taking the heat off growth at Margaret River Primary School. Long-stalled expansion plan for Margaret River Senior High School remained a problem, the Times understood. With no other high school closer than Cape Naturaliste College in Vasse, enrolments at the school had already eclipsed those expected to be captured by the unfinished second stage of a pledged upgrade. School board president Barbara Maidment has repeatedly called upon the State Government to provide promised funding for the final stage of the school upgrade. “The long and short of it is: we are out of space,” Dr Maidment said. “According to the department, the ideal number for a Government high school is 1200 and we are already beyond that.” Dr Maidment said the reliance on transportables was bad enough, but the school was also running out of locations to place them. Meanwhile, with a State election due in March, the Nationals WA and Liberal Party have pledged to fund plans to meet the latest enrolment forecasts.