Kensington Primary School is in need of major upgrades and maintenance works.
Five years ago, the local community (with the support of local MP Ellen Sandell) secured $7.3 million for much-needed building upgrades, and $339,000 for the outdoor learning area, at KPS.
But COVID-era cost increases meant that only half of the necessary work was completed. Now KPS is in dire need of more government funding to remove mould, fix leaky windows and roofs, upgrade the classrooms on level 1 and install a lift, and more.
This open letter will help put pressure on the State Government to properly fund the building works that Kensington Primary School needs.
The more parents and friends who sign, the more pressure the Government will feel. The letter will be presented to the Minister for Education, by local MP Ellen Sandell, early in 2026 ahead of the Victorian State Budget
Open letter to the Minister for Education
Dear Minister Carroll,
As parents and community members in Kensington, we write to ask you to urgently fund necessary building works at our local public primary school.
In 2021, Kensington Primary School was awarded $7.3 million in the State Budget to fund Stage 1 of its Master Plan, which included urgent upgrades to outdated facilities, particularly Block A on the ground and first floors. Additional funding of $339,000 was allocated in the 2024–25 State Budget for outdoor works.
Unfortunately, with steep increases in construction costs due to COVID-19 and other pressures on Victoria’s construction sector, the scope of Stage 1 was significantly reduced and the promised works were never completed.
Four years later, there remain substantial urgent repairs, maintenance and upgrades needed. The school is currently unable to use several classrooms and learning spaces due to damp, mould, peeling paint, holes in ceilings, and accessibility challenges. Many other rooms also lack adequate heating and insulation, and urgently need recarpeting, repainting, and soundproofing to make them safe and functional for students. Students with mobility challenges cannot access key areas, and historic parts of the school continue to deteriorate. Urgent upgrades are needed, including installing a lift and access bridge, reconfiguring the PLC room, and repairing rotting window sills and frames.
Victoria’s state schools are already the lowest-funded in Australia, receiving thousands of dollars less per student than schools in other states and territories. Every student deserves a safe, accessible, and well-maintained learning environment, and our heritage schools should not be left behind.
This is a project that should have been finished years ago, and it is critical that we ensure students can learn in spaces that meet their needs today and into the future. We cannot afford to let this beautiful heritage school fall into disrepair.
Our inner-city schools are already stretched, and with major development and more families moving to Kensington, the pressure on Kensington Primary’s facilities will only grow in the coming years.
Minister, we urge you to urgently fund outstanding Stage 1 works at Kensington Primary and fund the remainder of their master plan.
Thank you for your attention regarding this urgent matter.
Sincerely,
Parents, friends and community members in support of Kensington Primary School.
