Rutherford Public School is bursting at the seams with the computer room and library being used as permanent classrooms.
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The school’s 10 demountables and two modular designed rooms are not enough to cope with the school’s 780 students, according to the P&C, which lobbied Maitland MP Robyn Parker in May.
In her letter to the MP, P&C president Rachael Henderson said the need for more classrooms was urgent.
“With the need for additional classes this year, we have resorted to using the computer room and library,” Ms Henderson said.
“But this makes it hard for other classes to utilise these important resources.”
She said parents wanted to see more permanent structures at the school.
“There are no toilets in close proximity to these demountables, there is quite a walk for students and staff to access these facilities,” Ms Henderson said.
“We are also needing storage areas as there is no space for storage in our current demountable buildings.”
Adding to their woes, she said the school’s hall can no longer hold a whole school assembly and presentation days must be held at Rutherford Technology High School.
“This means that we have to liaise with the high school so that events do not clash and it involves the movement of a large number of students to and from the school.”
Ms Parker forwarded the association’s concerns to Education Minister Adrian Piccoli who said “additional accommodation will be provided as required”.
“I appreciate that Rutherford Public School has an under-sized hall and needs to hold events such as presentation days in Rutherford Technology High School's hall,” Mr Piccoli said in a letter to Ms Parker.
“Unfortunately, there are no immediate plans to extend the hall or to provide a new one.
“This project will be considered as part of future school facilities planning, should this remain a school priority.”
He said more disabled parking spaces as well as a staff demountable had been installed to supplement administration space.
“The Department of Education and Communities is aware that the Maitland area has experienced significant growth recently and that more growth is expected for the future,” Mr Piccoli said.
“The department is working with the Department of Planning and Infrastructure to ensure that the area is well serviced by education infrastructure to meet the expected future population growth in Rutherford and new urban release areas such as Huntlee.”
