04 May 2016 Mansfield Courier, Mansfield VIC (General News) by Rhyll Mccormack MANSFIELD Secondary College will receive $3 million from the Victorian 2016/2017 state budget to upgrade ageing facilities. Announced last week by Jaclyn Symes (MLC, Northern Victoria), the funding is the culmination of more than 15 years of campaigning by MSC staff, parents and political parties. We are obviously elated, acting school principal, Janessa Burqhardt, said. President of the school council, Judy Dixon, said it was not yet clear where the money would be spent but that the school had already identified a list of priorities. Our preference is to spend the money around the science and technology rooms, she explained. What we want is something similar to the Language Centre a modern, contemporary teaching space. MSC has long campaigned to have its ageing B block replaced. Officially opened in the early 1960s, the building has seen three generations of students walk its corridors. The B block was good in its day, Ms Dixon said. But it costs a lot of money each year to maintain, and to run. We are absolutely stoked with this funding announcement. Quotes attributable to Minister for Education James Merlino said better facilities will mean better outcomes for students at Mansfield Secondary College. Were making Victoria the education state, where every child has access to a great education and can achieve their potential, Mr Merlino said. Ms Symes said at this stage the exact requirements on how the money is to be spent has not been announced. The $3m in Labor Government funding will go towards modernisation and upgrade work for the school buildings, she said. I know the Mansfield Secondary College is doing great work and this funding will help it become even better. Students deserve more than the ageing and outdated facilities they have now and this funding will ensure they have the fantastic learning spaces they deserve. Although it is a Labor Government funding announcement, both Ms Dixon and Ms Burqhardt wanted to acknowledge the support MSC has received from other political parties, including former Nationals member for Benalla Bill Sykes and current Liberal member for Eildon, Cindy McLeish. Caption Text: NOT ENOUGH: Cindy McLeish (MLA, Eildon) and former member for Benalla Bill Sykes have both pushed long and hard for funding to rebuild Mansfield Secondary Colleges ageing buildings but $3 million allocated from the state budget this year is not enough says Ms McLeish.