Class act: Students James, Amanda, Zoe and, at back, Tegan promote the Tate Street primary carnival.
Andrew Mathieson
ONE OF Geelong’s oldest primary schools fears students could be left behind unless a fundraiser next month recoups $15,000, according to a parents group.
A washed-out carnival two years ago left Tate Street Primary School unable to fund key infrastructure projects.
Tate Street parents’ club president Sue Jensz said the last biennial carnival in 2006 raised about $6000.
The state school’s main priority was to pay for interactive whiteboards to “move into the 21st Century”, she said.
“It’s the way of the future but our school only has got one – the majority of primary schools have one in each grade already.”
Ms Jensz said the classroom boards cost about $4000 each, with the parents’ club aiming to buy three.
Sunshades to cover the school’s playground were also part of the club’s 10-year fundraising plan.
“I reckon we’re probably the only school that hasn’t got sunshades,” Ms Jensz said.
The school had “repeatedly” applied unsuccessfully for government grants for sunshades.
The school, in Thomson since 1929, has about 140 students.
Ms Jensz said it would be unfair to rely on the school’s working mums and dads to fork out extra money from their pockets.
“We’re in quite a high area for lower demographic families – you can’t keep asking them to sell raffle tickets or sell this or that, so we have to rely on the outside community to bring funds into our school.”
Ms Jensz said Tate Street had also fought running battles to upgrade its oval after drought wrecked its playing surface.
The school last year ruled out laying new turf to replace dead grass because the costs were not within its budget under a National School Pride program, Ms Jensz said.
This year’s school carnival on November 12 would include show rides, cake stalls, spinning wheels, showbags, pet farms, auctions and jumble sales.
