Education Minister Grace Grace and Morayfield MP Mark Ryan have toured the site of the new special school in Caboolture and announced the school’s foundation principal.
During an inspection of the construction site today, Ms Grace said Kim Kelly would take the reigns at the $24 million high school which will open on day one of the 2020 school year.
“I’d like to congratulate Kim on her new role which offers a unique opportunity to shape a new school from scratch,” Ms Grace said.
“Kim has been the principal of Gympie Special School for the last two years and brings 25 years’ teaching experience to the table, so I have no doubt she will do a wonderful job.
“She also has a great knowledge of the local area and the needs of local families, working as deputy principal of Caboolture Special School between 2016 and 2017.
“Kim will start in the role after the school holidays in Term 3.”
Mr Ryan said he was eager to see the inaugural students walk through the gates of the school in just over six months’ time.
“We’re expecting approximately 160 year 7-12 students to enrol for Term 1, 2020,” Mr Ryan said.
“This state-of-the-art school is a big win for our local community, with parents excited about the opportunities it will create for their children.
“The local economy is benefitting from the project too, with 64 local jobs supported during construction.
“It’s amazing to see the progress that the contractor, Badge Constructions, has made so far.
“The tradies have made plenty of progress on the admin block, library, two classroom blocks, food and hospitality centre and multi-purpose skills centre.
“These facilities will all be ready in 2020.”
Ms Kelly said she was excited about the challenge of leading a new school.
“I’m really looking forward to working with families and liaising with school communities in the Caboolture area, to share ideas and opportunities so that our students have real choices for their futures,” Mrs Kelly said.
“My aim is to develop a sense of belonging and pride in our school community so that every student obtains a quality education with a clear pathway for their future life.”
The Palaszczuk Government is building seven other schools across Queensland opening in 2020, representing an investment of $438 million and supporting almost 1,400 jobs.
These include a secondary college in Fortitude Valley; new secondary schools in Coomera, Mango Hill, Yarrabilba and Ripley Valley; and a new primary school in Ripley Valley.
