McKinnon Secondary College discovers downside of being popular school
Date: June 9, 2015 – 6:49AM
Henrietta Cook, Education Reporter
Development is rampant in McKinnon. Ben Ryde orchestrated the sale of his home and those of three of his neighbours to a developer.
Has one of Victoria’s most sought-after state schools become a victim of its own success?
McKinnon Secondary College principal Pitsa Binnion said an explosion of high-density “monstrosities” in the school’s coveted zone has put huge pressure on the community.
She criticised developers for demolishing single-storey homes and replacing them with 80-unit apartments so more families could secure places at the high-performing school.
“Where once upon a time it used to be one house with two or three children, you will now have three units with eight children. Everybody is subdividing and you are seeing a change in the face of the little McKinnon suburb that once was.”
She urged council to slow down on the approval of new apartments in the area.
While the school’s zone has not changed dramatically for more than two decades, its population has grown from 1100 to 1950 students.
This has coincided with a steady improvement in the school’s VCE performance, with senior students achieving 233 scores of “40 plus” in individual subjects last year.
“How big can the school become? We need to really maintain the integrity of the school.” Ms Binnion said the zone was not the problem, but rather the increasing density of the housing within it. Heavy traffic is another unintended consequence of the school’s popularity. Just last week, during the chaos of the afternoon pick-up, a student was rushed to hospital after he was hit by a car driven by a parent at the school.
The school’s infrastructure is also under pressure, with 32 portables now dotting the grounds.
Glen Eira Mayor Jim Magee – who is also a parent at the school and on its council – said the former government’s new residential planning zones had made the area more attractive to developers.
He said the solution was to build the school upwards, and within the next decade he expected it would accommodate 4000 students. “It’s a victim of its own success.”
The Andrews government has promised the school $9 million for a new multi-storey building with classrooms.
Bentleigh MP Nick Staikos said new laws introduced into parliament by Labor would “democratise VCAT” to ensure the tribunal took into account the volume of objections to a proposed development. This could halt unpopular developments in the area. He reminded parents that there were other fantastic state schools in the area, including Bentleigh, Brighton and Cheltenham Secondary College.
“But I don’t blame people for wanting to send their children to McKinnon.”
henrietta.cook@fairfaxmedia.com.au
Glen Eira Debates 
June 9, 2015 at 10:36 AM
The silliest comment comes from Nick Staikos. With bipartisan support, VCAT is NOT being “democratized”. We have no say over the composition of the Tribunal. They are unaccountable and unrepresentative. The recent change to PAEA was/is a waste of time. There isn’t a single development that Nick Staikos or Richard Wynne have pointed at and claimed that the outcome would have been different had this change been in place.
As Richard has been forced to admit, Members are free to decide whether number of objections is relevant, and they are free to attach zero weight to anything that doesn’t support the decision they want. On the rare occasions planning matters have gone to the Supreme Court, that body has demonstrated its own incompetence in planning matters. Planning Schemes don’t have to be applied, and that’s just the way our politicians like it.
June 9, 2015 at 11:53 AM
Pause for thought – Magee’s comments are the first admission that there is a very real connection between the zones and over development. Too little too late. Magee keeps spruiking the party line and in this quote he lays the carnage at the foot of the previous government and not the council that he is part of. Not good enough Jim. You and the other councillors did the dirty on residents back in 2002 and again in 2013. Fix up the mess you created and quit playing politics.
June 9, 2015 at 6:19 PM
I’d like to know how 4000 kids will be accommodated at the school. Magee probably wants a 10 storey school – right in the middle of single houses. The yanks showed 20 years ago that creating large schools was not on – socially, psychologically, physically for kids. The ed dept should buy virginia court and put a school there not cram thousands into McKinnon.
June 10, 2015 at 9:18 AM
Magee on the run has been heard telling people that he hates the residential zones and in the press and elsewhere he embraces the zones. Last year the residents had enough of Pillling who was a joker and this year Magee who says different things every time you meet him.
June 10, 2015 at 9:44 AM
Virginia Court Anonymous. how bright does Jeff look now. Closing down Murrumbeena High and selling off the land. Now thousands will be located accross the road! Similar story with Prahran!
June 10, 2015 at 5:44 PM
good point, and well observed
June 11, 2015 at 8:42 AM
Virginia Park will be in the McKinnon zone. Ask Staikos how he will fit them all in. At the time Kennett under used schools there was no option as the Cain and Kirner Gov. had pay down debt.
June 10, 2015 at 5:46 PM
That’s our Cr. Mr Magoo to the millimetre
June 11, 2015 at 8:34 AM
Why buy in the McKinnon school zone. There are class rooms full of “newcomers” whose parents simply rent for one year, get the child settled then move out to cheaper areas. Rule is that at least 6 months rent up front. The local agents under stand all this. So do the “newcomers”. Nothing the school can do about it. Staikos promised to build a new school. That is not going to happen.