Premier Daniel Andrews won’t have time to tour Warrnambool Special Developmental School (SDS) when he visits on Friday despite being invited, his office says.
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SDS principal Robert Dowell and school council president Jay Everall invited Mr Andrews to visit the overcrowded school so he could understand the need to secure funding for a new facility.
“Nothing’s better than for him to be able to experience it himself,” Mr Everall said.
“You can talk to different scenarios and email things and discuss things over the phone but with visiting, you get a feel for what the actual situation is.”
Deputy Premier and Education Minister James Merlino visited the school in June, and said he would put immediate measures in place to alleviate its “cramped conditions”.
Overcrowding has led to staggered lunch times and facilities for staff were inadequate.
The state government promised to build a new SDS prior to the 2014 election, and a new Wollaston Road site was announced last February.
“This project remains a high priority for the government and we look forward to having more to say on this in the future,” a government spokesman said.
The premier will open Port Fairy’s Moyne Health Services Community Health Centre on Friday and his office has told The Standard he will be keen to talk about health and rail.
The visit to Warrnambool and Port Fairy will be his first in the role.
