The school maintenance backlog has soared to an average of more than $330,000 for every public school in Campbelltown, says local MP Greg Warren.
The most recent Auditor General report has revealed the school maintenance backlog jumped by $195 million in 2014-15 to a total $732 million. With 2,219 primary and high schools in NSW – that’s an average of approximately $330,000 each.
The report attributes the cost blowout to a lack of maintenance funding as the list of repairs and maintenance projects increases.
While schools in Campbelltown remain in disrepair, the amount of money spent by the Baird Government on the Learning Management Business Reform (LMBR) project continues to spiral out of control.
The report estimates that the LMBR has blown its budget by $95 million and is still years away from completion.
Upon coming to office the Liberal Government slashed the education capital works budget by $229 million. The impacts of those cuts from Mike Baird’s first budget as Treasurer are now hitting schools across the state.
Mike Baird and Adrian Piccoli have now resorted to flogging off Hurlstone Agricultural College to property developers to try and cover their cuts to the education budget, says Mr Warren.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”] “Students should not be forced to learn in poorly maintained schools because of callous budget cuts by Mike Baird,’’ he said.[/social_quote]
“Instead of fixing classrooms and air-conditioners the government continues to pour money into the botched LMBR software program.
“It’s ludicrous that teachers and students are the ones copping the brunt of this government’s mismanagement.”
