This article is from page 30 of the 2007-11-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 30 JPG
PROJECTED growth in the number of people attending Sixmilebridge national school has prompted plans to be drawn up for a new school in STO BU UE RSXon
Currently, there are 329 pupils on the roll of St Finnachta’s National School and it is anticipated that this will grow to 600 within the next 10 years.
The Department of Education and Science has approved the building of new 24-classroom school to ac- commodate the future needs, on the current school site. The site itself has recently been enlarged through
the purchase of land adjacent to the original site. Based on current es- timates, the anticipated cost of the new project could reach €5 million and over the next few years and the fundraising committee hopes to raise €120,000 which will include the lo- cal contribution sum required for all such school development projects. Chairperson of the Parents Associ- ation Caitriona O’Reilly said growth in the village’s population is key to the development of the new school. “Sixmilebridge is very well located for Limerick and Ennis and Shannon and that is how it has grown so much. There has been a huge increase in the numbers of house built in the areas,”
she said.
While the funding has been sanc- tioned by the department, planning permission has yet to be sought and it should be four years before the school will be built.
The school’s teachers and pupils currently use the existing building, along with four prefabricated build- ings, on the same site. The space is not sufficient for the growing popu- lation of the school and given the anticipated increasing numbers, the new school will be a necessity.
“We really want a state-of-the-art school. It will be a challenge to raise the money,” said Ms O’Reilly.
“We are appealing to locals to help
out, particularly people coming into the area. A lot of young people are choosing Sixmilebridge to live in, given that houses are affordable and the location suits them,” she added. School principal Ray McInerney acknowledged “the early decision and foresight of the Department of Education and Science to invest in the new school here’. He thanked “the parents and supporters of the school, the Board of Management, the teachers and staff of the school and the sponsors of this important event”. He made special mention of “the organising committee who have dedicated time and energy to make this local fund raiser a big success”.