History
The new school is built on the site of the previous Albert Park College in Danks Street which closed at the end of 2006 due to low enrolments. Originally opened as Albert Park High School, it was renamed Hobson's Bay Secondary College, and then Albert Park Secondary College before closing in 2006.
In 2002 the State Government spent $1 million on renovations to fix leaking walls and rotting carpet, local MP John Thwaites saying the decay was caused by eight years of neglect by the former Kennett government. In the five years to 2005 student numbers had fallen from 460 to 242, by 2006 they had fallen further to 206 with only 15 students enrolled to start year 7 the next year. Meanwhile the suburb had gentrified during the past two decades, but local residents chose not to send their children to the school because of the poor reputation and low academic results.
The buildings were demolished between May and November 2008. Soil contamination (common in the area from the former Gasworks sites) delayed construction of the new buildings, which was originally planned to reopen in 2009. After delays in construction, a new purpose-built school was opened for Year 7 students in 2011, and will eventually expand to house 950 students from years 7 to 12, costing $20 million to build.
Read more about this topic: Albert Park College
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