The master planned development of St Ann’s School will continue with Member for Bundamba Lance McCallum today announcing a $2 million funding boost for the Redbank Plains school.

Mr McCallum said the investment was part of a $100 million capital grants program for eligible non-state schools.

“The funds provided through these grants help ease the external infrastructure costs associated with capital works projects, and it’s great to see a local school benefit,” Mr McCallum said.

“This funding will support the construction of Block D, including four new classrooms, along with the conversion of the Block A covered lunch area into two multipurpose spaces.

“These spaces – one for music and another for art – will become creative hubs for students and overlook the school’s sweeping sports field and landscaped playgrounds.”

St Ann’s Principal Sonny Smith welcomed the move, saying the funding would build on the school’s already strong foundations.

“We opened this year and while it’s certainly been challenging, COVID has given us an opportunity to fast track our connections with the wider community,” Mr Smith said.

“You can never take this sort of funding for granted – every dollar makes a huge difference to the lives of our students and we’re very grateful for the government’s support.

“We’re a diverse and multicultural school and our students really love the arts.”

Mr McCallum said the capital grants program helped ensure Queensland students had access to quality education with the best possible facilities.

“Funds are made available on the recommendations of the Queensland Catholic Capital Assistance Authority and the Queensland Independent Schools Block Grant Authority,” Mr McCallum said.

“The Palaszczuk Government remains committed to the ongoing support for non-state schools as part of our continued investment in world-class education across the state.”