Fundraising on track at Knockanean school

THERE is an air of excitement around Knockanean Primary School currently as pupils and staff look forward to classrooms being opened in the new year after a grand sum of €85,000 was raised locally to extend the school.

Knockanean Primary School in the parish of Doora-Barefield, like many schools in the country, has rapidly outgrown its building.
Built in 1949 with a further extension carried out in 1997, the number of pupils attending the school has more than doubled in recent years to its current enrolment of 280. The school currently has four prefabricated classrooms, while the resource teachers also operate from prefabricated cabins.
In 2010, the school was given a grant by the Department of Education and Science to build an extension. Unfortunately, the grant fell short of what was needed to replace the four prefabs. Last September, the board of management appointed a fundraising committee to raise the shortfall required to build a four-classroom two-storey extension, which amounted to €100,000.
This was a task that seemed overwhelming for a country school with only 175 families, however, with the dedicated support of the staff, parents and the wider community and parish, they have raised €85,000 to date. 
This puts the fundraising right on track to reach their target and the building work is also on track with painting beginning on the outside of the new building this week. 
The fundraising committee and staff have organised many events such as a sponsored climb of Croagh Patrick, a ladies’ pamper night, a dress sale and classroom-based fundraisers which have all been a great success. 
In the coming weeks, they will also bag pack in Tescos as well as holding a flag day in Ennis.