Perth's schools are finally getting the resources they need—and parents are noticing

Perth parents have spent the better part of a decade watching their kids' schools operate with hand-me-down equipment and stretched staff. That's changing now, and the shift is unmissable if you walk through suburbs like Subiaco, Nedlands, or Bayswater on any given Tuesday afternoon.

The Western Australian government approved $480 million in education funding this financial year—the largest single allocation in five years. Schools across the metropolitan area are using the money to hire additional teachers, upgrade aging facilities, and launch mental health programs that parents say were overdue. For families trying to decide whether to stay in Perth or move east for better school options, this marks a genuine turning point.

Catherine Murphy, who runs a childcare centre in Mount Hawthorn, has watched the shift firsthand. "Parents aren't asking about Victoria anymore," she said. "Two years ago, every second conversation was about schooling reasons to leave. Now they're asking what new programs their kids' schools are getting."

From Stretched to Staffed

Rossmoyne Senior High School in Langley Avenue completed a $22 million refurbishment in April, adding three new science blocks and a dedicated mental health centre. The school, which serves students across the southern suburbs, had been operating with classroom portables since 2014. The upgrade means year 11 and 12 students no longer share lab spaces with junior students, allowing for better specialist teaching.

North Perth Primary on Fitzgerald Street secured funding for a new $8.5 million performing arts facility that opened in May. The school now offers drama and music programs three days a week—previously, specialist arts teachers rotated through twice monthly. Parent feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, though enrolment numbers tell the real story: the school added 47 new students in term two alone, after losing 30 the previous year.

The hiring push has been equally significant. Schools across Perth added 340 teaching positions in the past 18 months, according to the Department of Education's latest staffing report. That means smaller classroom ratios and more one-on-one support for students struggling with literacy or numeracy. At Shenton College in Swanbourne, the additional staff have cut average class sizes from 28 to 24 students in lower school.

Why Now Matters

The turnaround comes as Perth faces real demographic pressure. For three consecutive years to 2024, the city lost more families with school-aged children to interstate migration than any other Australian capital. Property prices haven't recovered the way they have in Sydney or Melbourne, making it harder to attract young families willing to pay premium prices for questionable school options. The government recognised the feedback and adjusted accordingly.

Mental health programs have become the most visible change for families. Every public secondary school in the Perth metropolitan area now has at least one full-time counsellor, up from a shared counsellor model that served multiple schools. Curtin College and Thornlie Secondary College both launched peer support programs in term one that train year 10 students to work alongside counsellors. Parents report their teenagers take the programs seriously because they're run by other young people, not adults delivering tick-box sessions.

Beyond the classroom, school zones are becoming genuine community spaces. The City of Perth's new active transport plan includes dedicated school drop-off zones on Adelaide Terrace and Wellington Street, reducing traffic congestion that plagued the CBD schools during peak hours. It's a small detail, but it means mornings feel less stressful for working parents who juggle multiple school runs.

For families still undecided about staying in Perth, the practical advice is straightforward: visit your local school and ask specifically what's changed in the past year. Ask about staff turnover rates, specialist program rollout, and counselling capacity. The numbers have shifted enough that Perth schools are now competitive on these metrics. That wasn't true in 2023.