New school building for Tulla moves a step closer

ST Joseph’s Secondary School in Tulla is a step closer to acquiring a new school building as the Tánaiste announced this week that the school has been sanctioned to begin the process of appointing a design team.
The Department of Education and Skills published its school building work programme for 2011 and St Joseph’s new school project has been progressed to the stage where briefs will be formulated this year with a view to appointing a design team.
Commenting on the recent development, school principal Margaret O’Brien said, “we are thrilled”.
Half of the school currently operates out of prefab classrooms and it is accepted that the current school facilities and site are unsuitable. Ms O’Brien stated that although this progress has been made, it is essentially the beginning of the new school building process. She stressed that it had taken a lot of planning over the past 10 years to bring this project forward to the development stage.
It is envisaged that the new school will be located on a green field site in the village, the details of which are yet to be formalised.
“This has been in the planning for the past 10 years. The school was built to accommodate up to 350 pupils and we currently have 462 pupils but we could grow if we had the opportunity. New facilities would help offer programmes where otherwise we might be limited for space. We would be looking forward to new sports and playing facilities of an adequate standard because we have good success here with hurling, camogie, basketball and athletics. We would also like to have better facilities for special needs pupils. Every faculty would enjoy better facilities in the new school,” Ms O’Brien explained.
She added that the school has “outgrown the site” and highlighted that the benefits of having a new school development not only works out better for the pupils, staff and local community but is at this stage more cost efficient for the department.
“We have 12 prefab classrooms out of a stock of 24 classrooms, so it is fair to say half of the school is run in prefabs. I think this development is long overdue and we would be delighted to move. While the department has put money into the school over the years, I think they realise that more money needs to go in and there is more value for money to move to a new site. The whole school is thrilled. We can’t really believe it yet,” she continued.
Ms O’Brien explained that the appointment of a design team is an open process and said she hopes this new development for Tulla will help boost employment and that it will lead to better facilities for not only the staff and pupils but also for the greater community.
Former principal, Jim Cooney echoed Ms O’Brien’s enthusiasm.
“I’m over the moon and thrilled to bits. I am both relieved and delighted that the department have made this decision. It’s long overdue and I want to compliment everyone involved in reaching this decision, successive boards of management, trustees, the current principal and staff,” Mr Cooney said.
He outlined how long it has taken for this process to come to fruition.
“It was realised back in 1999 or 2000 that a new school would be needed and the campaign was mounted at that time, principally by the staff and parents. Following that campaign there was optimism that a new school would be sanctioned but the decision of the department of education in 2001 was for an extension on the existing site. I was appointed principal in 2002 and from then on my primary goal was to have that decision changed and have a new school. It was the only logical conclusion because the school wasn’t fit for purpose. It was sitting on a two and half acre site and was badly located and had no playing facilities,” Mr Cooney concluded.
Local deputy Timmy Dooley said the announcement is good news for Tulla and would also help the community efforts being undertaken by Tulla 2016.