By Deanne Jeffers
FRIDAY marked a major milestone for Shepparton’s education sector with the official opening of the first stage of the new Banmira Specialist School, formerly Verney Road School.
Banmira’s Junior Campus, located at the former Wanganui Park Secondary College, was made possible by a $24.8M Victorian Government investment to repurpose the site, vacated in 2021 for the opening of Greater Shepparton Secondary College.
Deigned for students with additional needs, the purpose-built facility provides dedicated spaces and resources for learning, play, and development.
School Principal Angela Buxton said the school community was “blown away” the upgrades. “There’s any absolute need for this, and those needs are very different from those of a mainstream school. There are many more facilities, and now there’s much more scope for us to provide our children with the education they deserve.”
“We believe every single child can learn, and this space allows us to do that and helps them grow and thrive,” she added.
“We now have a parents’ hub, and we can provide NDIS therapists who can work alongside our staff, which makes us more cohesive,” Angela said. “We’re supporting these families, as they too have significant needs, and this is how we do that.”
State Treasurer and Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes toured the new facility with enthusiastic student leaders, acknowledging the collaborative efforts of the school community, principal, and advocates who championed the project.
The completion of Stage 1 establishes Parkside Drive as the Junior Campus. Stage 2 plans to redevelop the rest of the site, consolidating the entire Banmira Specialist School into a single campus, pending further government funding.
For now, students in Years 7-12 will continue at the Verney Road site until the transition is complete. While the Treasurer did not announce further funding, she emphasised the importance of celebrating progress.
“Today is really about celebrating a significant achievement from a school community and those that have worked so hard to deliver this,” Ms Symes said. “I’m really proud that as a Labor Government, we could contribute $24 million to make this a reality and deliver a school that the kids and teachers deserve.”
Originally built for just 74 students in 1999, Verney Road School has grown significantly, with around 135 junior students now based at the new campus.
The name ‘Banmira’, which means ‘Valley’ in the Yorta Yorta and Bangarang languages, honours the Traditional Owners of the land and symbolises the school’s deep connection to the landscapes and wide catchment area encompassing Shepparton and surrounds and the wider Goulburn Murray Valley.
