School Council

School Council Update: Advocating for Our Children's Future

As School Council, one of our key responsibilities is advocating for the future needs of Heathmont East Primary School and ensuring our students have access to the learning environments they deserve.

With the Victorian State Election approaching, we have been actively engaging with political leaders and candidates to highlight the challenges our school community faces and to seek support for the next stage of our School Master Plan.

Over recent weeks, School Council has written to local election candidates, the new Premier, the new Minister for Education and the Opposition Leader, inviting them to visit our school and see firsthand the realities of our current facilities. I am pleased to share that we have already secured one candidate visit, are currently working with a second candidate to finalise a school tour in the coming weeks, and have also been engaged in positive discussions with a third candidate regarding the funding required to deliver the next stage of our Master Plan.

These conversations and visits are incredibly important. They provide an opportunity for decision-makers to meet our students and staff, experience our school environment, and better understand the challenges that come with approximately 75% of our classrooms operating from temporary portable buildings. While our teachers and students continue to achieve great outcomes, it is clear that permanent, purpose-built learning spaces are needed to support our growing school community into the future.

Our advocacy is focused on securing funding for the next stage of our Master Plan, which includes the construction of new permanent classrooms along the Louis Street boundary of our school. This project would represent a significant step forward in creating modern, high-quality learning environments for both current and future generations of Heathmont East students.

We believe there is a genuine opportunity in the lead-up to the election to not only build support for our school's needs but also to secure commitments from political parties to help bring this vision to life. While there is still plenty of work to do, School Council remains committed to ensuring our community's voice is heard.

Advocacy is always strongest when it comes from the people who experience the benefits of our school every day. I encourage any members of our community who are passionate about improving facilities for our children to consider supporting these efforts by engaging with local representatives and sharing the story of Heathmont East Primary School.

On behalf of School Council, I would like to thank our families, staff and broader community for their ongoing support. We will continue pushing for the investment our school needs and will keep you updated as candidate visits occur and as any commitments are received.

Together, we have an important opportunity to shape the future of Heathmont East Primary School and provide the facilities our children deserve.

Matt McKean

School Council President

On behalf of School Council

Heathmont East Primary School