$20m cash injection into Ipswich schools

BLAIR State School is one of 11 Ipswich schools which will receive more than $20 million in funding for infrastructure under a Federal Government grant.

The schools received the funding for major infrastructure projects including halls and resource centres under round one of the Primary Schools for the 21st Century (P21) program.

Blair State School received $1 million for a multipurpose hall and $1.5 million for a resource centre.

Principal Mark Mitchell said he and the community were excited about the funding.

“As we don't currently have a hall it will allow us to conduct a lot of our school events - assemblies, concerts, award days - as well as allowing the community to access the hall,” Mr Mitchell said.

“At the moment we have to do it underneath a building that's not closed in and open to the weather.”

The school's resource centre will include a science technology area, library, multimedia room, computers, interactive white boards and data projectors.

Ipswich Adventist School will receive $850,000 to build a library and it is one of the first independent schools to be funded under the program.

Principal Kim Roberts said he was very happy to get funding as the current library operates out of a small area the size of a classroom.

“For us it will be a state of the library... It will be a brand new building, there'll be a computer hub... we're also having a nice outdoor learning area,” Mr Roberts said.

“Libraries are still really important and children love to read regardless of the digital age.”

The projects are expected to be completed this year.

Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann said he encouraged all local primary schools to submit applications for round two which closes on May 15 and round three which closes on July 10.