WITH Victoria heading towards a crucial state election, the North Central Review is counting down our top five areas in desperate need of attention within the shire.
#2 The quality and lack of education
The Mitchell Shire is booming, which means more population and more kids coming into the shire.
Believe it or not, Kilmore is the biggest town in Victoria by population that does not feature a public high school.
It will continue to grow with new estates popping up in the west and the south-east side of the town.
Townships will need new infrastructure like a public high school in Kilmore and another in Beveridge, because the booming population is too much for the current public high schools in Broadford and Wallan.
Over 200,000 more people will be living within the shire, most being younger families finding their way through the early stages of schooling and life.
But added pressure will mount on Kilmore and Beveridge, which is why it’s time for a party within the state government to promise funding for a new public high school in Kilmore.
Council has done enough, they’ve started petitions, gathered the land and now need some commitment from the government.
Member for Northern Victoria Annabelle Cleeland said that Kilmore absolutely deserves a public secondary school.
“Our teachers do an outstanding job, but Broadford Secondary College is nearing capacity, with some classrooms operating off generators. Assumption College is also an outstanding school, but it’s simply out of financial reach for many local families, so it’s not a genuine option for most.”
“We’re already seeing families move away from Kilmore due to a lack of local education access, and regional school buses are more than 30 per cent oversubscribed. The longer this drags on, the more we risk fracturing friendships, straining already-stretched schools, and undermining the town’s long-term liveability.”
A member of the Beveridge community reached out to the Review voicing their concerns towards the lack of secondary education in Beveridge.
“Beveridge primary school now has more than 850 students, with new housing estates continuing to be developed and more families moving into the area. The obvious question is: where are these children expected to go for secondary school?”
They contacted the Victorian School Building Authority who further pushed the query to the Department of education’s Provision Planning team who gave this response.
“The Victorian Government is committed to growing educational opportunities for all Victorians. The Government has invested $20.1 billion over the past 12 years to build new schools and modernise existing educational facilities across Victoria,” they said.
“The department is actively assessing the need for new schools in Beveridge by considering the capacity of existing schools to accommodate growth in enrolments and will continue to review this information annually as part of its statewide planning for schools.
“The 2026/27 State Budget provided $104 million to acquire land for new schools and campuses in rapidly growing areas of Victoria, including Mitchell Shire. This investment, part of a broader, long-term education infrastructure plan, aims to secure sites for future schools in rapidly expanding communities.”
Not only has the lack of education sparked attention, but now the quality of education in the shire is in desperate need of attention after a recent audit of every state school was rated by condition.
Within the Mitchell Shire, not one school was rated in the ‘Good’ category, instead sitting in the ‘Worn’ and some cases ‘Poor’ category.
Now both the lack and the quality of facilities in the Mitchell Shire is an issue, and if families want their kids to receive great education for a lower, more affordable price, it is harder then ever.
