Westport secondary school to get €900,000 upgrade

Westport secondary school to get €900,000 upgrade


Neill O'Neill

RICE College in Westport is to receive in excess of €900,000 in funding for new classrooms and facilities it has been announced. The school on the Castlebar Road in the town, which is currently in the midst of a major sporting facilities upgrade, heard late last week that funding would be made available for them to construct eight classrooms and a large science laboratory.
Local TD, Michael Ring, who is Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, welcomed the announcement from the Department of Education and Skills.
“I am delighted that Rice College has been sanctioned funding for eight classrooms and a 100 square metre science lab,” he said.
“Rice College opened this new school in 1987 on the Castlebar Road in Westport. Since then, pupil numbers have grown substantially, hence the need for the additional accommodation which has now been approved for them.
“Rice College serves a wide catchment area and the classrooms were urgently required. I compliment the principal, Michael Rabbette, and his staff, on the continuing growth in numbers in Rice College,” continued Minister of State Ring.

Large catchment area
Along with the Sacred Heart girls school, Rice College serves a large swathe of west Mayo, with the nearest secondary schools, aside from Castlebar, located in Achill to the north and Clifden to the south.
Despite this, the schools have not undertaken any significant expansions in recent years. Rice College is currently nearing completion on a €350,000 sports facility development, with a new floodlit Astroturf pitch now operational at the front of the school, and an all-weather pitch and associated facilities to the rear, which will be open for use in the coming months. Funding for this was provided by the school, the now abolished Westport Town Council, the Sports Capital Grant through Minister Ring’s office and from an on-going effort to fundraise in the Westport area.
Meanwhile, Templemary National School in Killala was also sanctioned funding for one 80 square metre mainstream classroom and one 16 square meter resource room while St Joseph’s National School in Bekan, Claremorris will be provided with a new 80 square metre mainstream classroom. St Joseph’s National School in Rehins, Killala has also been approved funding - for an ASD Unit - and also last week, Rossport National School, (Scoil Naisunta Ros Dumhach) was approved funding under the Emergency Works Scheme.