STUDENTS at Verney Road School will have more room to learn, play and to grow when they assume their new educational premises at the former Wanganui Park Secondary School campus on Parkside Drive, Shepparton.
Purpose built for 74 students in 1999, today Verney Road School has 227 students and 85 teachers and support staff dedicated to delivering diverse learning opportunities – but they are running out of space to expand.
“We always talk about building independence in our students and being able to develop programs over at a larger site, because we’ve really outgrown this site, will be a huge opportunity for pathways for those students,” said Verney Road School principal Angela Buxton.
The school has a proud history of providing learning and purposeful pathways for students with mild to profound intellectual disability ranging in age from three to 18, and catering for families from Shepparton and Mooroopna, and across the region to
Nathalia, Murchison, Euroa and Numurkah.
Treasurer Tim Pallas visited Verney Road School to announce their new site, an initiative that is part of the State Government’s promise to retain the former campuses on Wanganui Park and McGuire College for future educational purposes.
“Kids with special needs deserve access to the same opportunities as every other student – with a new campus for Verney Road School, and upgrades to every special school across the state, we’re making sure that’s happening,” said Treasurer Pallas.
Perkins Architects Pty Ltd have been appointed to design the new school with a builder expected to be appointed and start works next year, with the school open and ready for students in 2026.
$23.8M for the project has been set aside in the 2022/23 budget.
