By CASEY NEILL
A LACK of primary school places could force families to leave Keysborough.
There was talk of a new primary school being in the works when Megan Bergic built in the area nine years ago, including “legal documents” showing the proposed site.
“It all seemed very official,” she said.
But her daughter is starting Prep next year and there’s no new school in sight.
“There’s obviously two primary schools in Keysborough but they are a reasonable distance away from us,” Ms Bergic said.
“The closest one to us is three and a half kilometres.
“There’s a high demand for it (another school).”
The Bergic family could pack up and leave over the issue.
“We’ve considered moving,” she said.
“We’ve attended open for inspections at Patterson Lakes, given that they have a great government school within walking distance of most of the houses.
“The area has grown to such a point and there’s still really no progression towards putting a school in.”
She said many young families called the area home, and the population had grown significantly in the past 10 years.
“The kindergarten and the day care my children attend are fully booked,” she said.
Ms Bergic’s son will head to school in two years, and her daughter will be at Dingley Primary next year after missing out on a place at Kingswood Primary School in Dingley Village.
“The majority of the places went to Dingley residents, and then the spaces left over were offered to people who lived outside of their zone, but there wouldn’t have been many places,” she said.
“There are schools like Kingswood in Dingley and St Marks that we actually can’t get into.
“Dingley is a smaller space than Keysborough and yet they have the same amount of schools as Keysborough.”
Councillor Matthew Kirwan told a council meeting in July that Keysborough residents were calling for new primary and secondary schools to meet the suburb’s growing population.
An Education Department spokesman said the department was aware of the increased population projections in the Keysborough area and had identified the need to plan for a site in this area.
“In the short to medium term the increase in population can be accommodated at the existing schools,” he said.
“Funding for capital works projects is determined during the state budget process.”
Does Keysborough need another primary school? Email journal@starnewsgroup.com.au or share your thoughts on www.facebook.com/DandenongJournal.
