![NSW education minister Adrian Piccoli (second from right) opening upgrades to Rutherford Technology High in June with Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald and students Melissa Travis and Liam Faustini. Picture: PERRY DUFFIN NSW education minister Adrian Piccoli (second from right) opening upgrades to Rutherford Technology High in June with Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald and students Melissa Travis and Liam Faustini. Picture: PERRY DUFFIN](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/tmUaC97GWTfBTvbgiBtbEs/68e1483c-bd4d-4115-8eb9-93e047206aa3.jpg/r0_18_1017_592_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The state government will stick to its plan of expanding public schools in the Maitland area, while the Catholic diocese of Maitland-Newcastle builds new schools.
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The 2016-17 state budget provided an extra $1 billion to increase capacity in NSW public schools and further announcements will be made in coming months.
- Spokesperson for education minister Adrian Piccoli.
When asked whether the state government planned to build more schools in the Maitland local government area, a spokesperson for education minister Adrian Piccoli told Fairfax Media the government had already invested “a significant” amount of money on school upgrades in the area.
“In June, the minister opened a $20 million upgrade of Rutherford High School, including 23 new classrooms and learning areas,” he said.
“An upgrade of Bolwarra Public School was announced in the 2016/17 state budget.
“The project will include the provision of new permanent classrooms, special programs rooms, upgrades to the library and administration and additional student and staff facilities.
“The 2016-17 state budget provided an extra $1 billion to increase capacity in NSW public schools and further announcements will be made in coming months.”
The comments came a day after Labor released Department of Education data, obtained through freedom of information laws, that highlighted overcrowded schools across the state – including several in the Hunter.
The figures showed Maitland Grossman High School was operating at 103 per cent capacity.
The Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle is in the process of buying two pieces of land west of Maitland, which it says would be “well suited” to a school or early childhood learning centre.
The diocese has also applied to increase the capacity of the 18-month-old St Aloysius Primary School, at Chisholm, by 50 per cent.
A high school has been planned for the site next to St Aloysius.