KEY POINTS:
The cost of the delayed development of Albany Senior High keeps climbing, with the "complexities" of the latest site now predicted to add to the bill.
Education Minister Chris Carter said yesterday $47 million was originally allocated to the project but he expected the Ministry of Education to seek more money.
In reply to a question from National Party education spokeswoman Katherine Rich, Mr Carter wrote: "Given the complexities of building on the Albany Senior High School site, I expect the ministry to seek additional funding.
"This amount has not yet been determined."
Mrs Rich said it was the latest in a series of embarrassing revelations since a likely year-long delay to the senior high's opening became public.
An "initial campus" of removable buildings on the Albany Junior High site to take students before the permanent senior high is finished would be set up at an extra, unknown, cost to taxpayers.
Mrs Rich said, "We are starting to question if the ministry has any ability to build anything out that way on time to budget.
"I think they've tried to be too clever with this just-in-time building programme, which, if things go wrong, you're well and truly stuffed."
The senior high was supposed to open in 2009 to take 300 students due to finish the feeder junior high school.
The ministry's application to re-designate the site attracted more than 70 opposing submissions, with native bush, a creek and a historic building among the complicating factors.
Last week, plans to build the "initial campus" of removable buildings on the junior high site were unveiled.
About $1 million was going on relocating 18 prefabricated classrooms to the junior school by Christmas.
Mrs Rich said many parents would be relieved by the temporary solution but it was not what they had signed up to.
