50,000 reasons to celebrate at gisborne secondary college

At a recent visit to Gisborne Secondary College, the Labor Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas, announced the school would receive $50,000 towards the construction of its new Performing Arts Centre in addition to $78,000 for general maintenance.

The news was enthusiastically received by the school’s VET students who worked hard to design a sponsorship program for the new Performing Arts Centre – of which Ms Thomas recently became a patron.

"This extra $50,000 for the school’s Performing Arts Centre is fantastic news for students and families of Gisborne Secondary College," Ms Thomas said.

"The finished Centre will provide a welcome home for the school’s performing arts talent not to mention a great venue for lectures, presentations as well as corporate and business events".

The $78,000 in maintenance funding will go towards urgent maintenance needs across the school so that students can reach their potential in safe and comfortable learning environments.

"This funding supports the Labor Government’s commitment to making Victoria the Education State," Ms Thomas said.

The 2015-16 Victorian Budget was the single biggest boost to education funding in Victoria’s history – investing close to $4 billion in Victoria’s education and skills system.

It provides $325 million to renovate, refurbish or rebuild 67 schools – 25 of them in our fast-growing outer suburbs and 21 in regional Victoria.

It includes $180 million for programs that will help families cover the extra costs of education, like camps, excursions and uniforms, so no child misses out. It also provides $120 million to build and upgrade Catholic and Independent schools across the state, matching dollar-for-dollar the non-government sector’s contribution.

The Budget will also fund the first stage of an extensive asbestos removal program so that families can be assured their children are being educated in safe schools. Gisborne Secondary College’s new Performing Arts Centre will offer 256 comfortable theatre seats, acoustics, a retractable projector screen and lighting, a green room, a bio-box and a high-end audio-visual suite.

To enquire about a tax-deductible sponsorship package, contact Michelle Croxford at Gisborne Secondary College at croxford.michelle.g@edumail.vic.gov.au