• Education minister Sue Ellery and Jandakot MP Yaz Mubarakai with local parent Matt, whose bub Aleria turns one next week and might one day go to Treeby primary school.

A NEW 540 pupil primary school in Treeby will open in 2022 to take the pressure off Atwell Primary.

The $20.3 million Sapphire Drive school is one of five announced by the McGowan government late last year as a response to a growing population.

Atwell Primary currently has 691 grade-school students and 99 part time in kindy.

The new school (working title Treeby (Banjup West) Primary) will be able to take in the families in Treeby’s growing residential estate.

Jandakot Labor MP Yaz Mubarakai has been advocating for new schools in his electorate, and says it’s “sensational” they’ll be getting a new Treeby PS and another new school to the east at Piara Waters.

“A lot of young families have moved into the area,” he says, noting the suburb’s got some good infrastructure already and the school completes the picture.

“There’s close to 120 kids who are currently going to Atwell and other private schools” and that number’s projected to grow in the next few years.

He says the new school will be more convenient for them, cut down on travel time and mean “not having to go across busy Armadale Road to Atwell”.

Christou Design Group has been appointed to design Treeby PS and construction’s due to start late 2020.

by DAVID BELL