An artist’s impression of what the new Googong High School will look like. Image: Supplied.
A year out from the opening of a new school, community advocates are calling for a speedy expansion.
Construction of the new Googong High School started in late 2025.
The school will open with an inaugural cohort of about 700 students, with plans to cater to a further 2000 after a Stage 2 expansion.
The high school is expected to open in time for Term 1 of 2027 for students in Years 7 and 8. It is understood enrolments are set to open this term.
For local mum and president of Googong Public School’s P&C, Candice Cox, the decision is “really frustrating” and seems “rushed out”.
“My main concern is there might be good reasons for it to be Years 7 and 8, but it hasn’t been communicated … [The community is] not involved in that process,” she told Region.
The P&C has long been calling for the school to open with larger student capacity.
She said news of the initial two-year cohort had left some children “inconsolable”.
“I’ve had quite a few parents contact me, saying their kids have been really upset to hear that they potentially won’t be able to go to Googong High School, with their community, their neighbours.
“Especially for Year 9 [students] who did go to Googong Public and are now heading into Canberra, Queanbeyan or other schools, who were really looking forward to coming back and going back to a local high school.
“It’s really disappointing.”
Ms Cox also alleged there had been limited consultation from the NSW Education Department.
“This is meant to be done based on the demand, and there’s been no consultation to understand the demand, understand how many teenagers there are in Googong,” she said.
“None of that work’s been done yet.”
Concerns around the consultation process were echoed by Googong Residents Association president Dean Martin.
He attended several pop-up information sessions and said news the school would open with Years 7 and 8 surprised many.
“I think many residents feel there wasn’t clear consultation, especially, about [how] it’s only going to open for Years 7 and 8.
“I think that’s where a lot of the frustration is coming from.”
Mr Martin described the Googong area, “with its family-friendly focus”, as already growing “very quickly”.
He said the current approach risked leaving teenagers crammed in “too small to start” school.
“It needs to be at least to Year 9 … I don’t know how their technical budgets work, but possibly they should start looking at the budget for getting that Stage 2,” he said.
“No point doing it when it’s too late, because that’s when demoutables happen.”
Should students need more classrooms, Ms Cox signalled her opposition to an approach that would bring demountables onto the school grounds.
“Lots of people are saying, ‘They can put demoutables’ … But for high school, it’s not that easy,” she said.
“You need purpose-built classrooms, you need science labs … there is so much more that goes into it. The population is there [for the expansion].”
Ms Cox said the current approach risked bringing an “overcrowded school” with a “playground covered in demountables” to town.
“I feel like it’s just setting the scene for there being no more funding for a Stage 2,” she said.
She called on the NSW Education Department to reconsider its decision and, ideally, bring forward the Stage 2 expansion.
“[There should be] actual consultation and conversations with the community on why and how it would affect the school,” she said.
In response to questions from Region, a NSW Department of Education spokesperson said the school would eventually expand.
“In line with established processes, the new high school at Googong will initially open to Year 7 and 8 students and will add a further year level each year after.
“Staggered enrolments are normal for new high schools so students can be offered the broadest possible curriculum options as they proceed through high school.”
The new Googong High School’s build is in progress, according to the December 2025 update from School Infrastructure NSW (the latest available).
“Bulk excavation, earthworks and piling have finished and work is underway on footings, columns, inground services and ground floor slabs for the new buildings.”
Cut and fill excavation work has also finished in the landscaped area.
Late last year, the NSW Government also announced two more schools would be built in the town over the coming years – a public primary school and a preschool.
In the December update, School Infrastructure NSW said they would open with at least 650 students, with their designs to be released in early 2026.
