When fire destroyed Kelso High on August 19, 2005, students, staff and the Bathurst community grieved the loss of the 30-year-old school.

But when the school year started this year, the community was overjoyed to see a $23 million campus rise from the ashes, built three months ahead of schedule.

The former Kelso High is now the Kelso campus of Denison College of Secondary Education, another unexpected benefit that resulted from the fire.

The college combines the resources and expertise of Kelso and Bathurst High in partnership with TAFE NSW and Charles Sturt University. About 100 senior students are already moving between the Kelso and Bathurst campuses to access a broader curriculum.

The Minister for Education and Training, John Della Bosca, said: “The Kelso High campus is not only a whole new school, it also represents a new approach to education and greatly expanded educational opportunities in Bathurst.”

The rejuvenation of public education has resulted in enrolment increases at both high school campuses. The principal of Kelso campus, Paul Stirling, said he enrolled an additional 30 students in the first two days of school. The school’s numbers by early February had risen to 730 students, up from 680 last year.

“Our transition into the college has been as sweet as pie. Education in Bathurst is really at an exciting stage,” Mr Stirling said.

Students and staff found themselves in the media spotlight when the school opened. One student told reporters: “It was so sad to lose the old school but look what we got out of it.”

Students and staff were accommodated in 59 demountable buildings during the construction phase. The campus was built by St Hilliers and will be managed through the State Government’s Public Private Partnership (PPP) program.

Mr Stirling said the department of education’s consultation with the Bathurst community on the school’s future was extensive and led to strong support for the college when residents saw “the incredible advantages” it would provide. The 70 teachers and SAS staff also had input into some of the design features of the campus.

“It was a very stressful time in 2005 and we had to re-establish what sort of school we were going to rebuild,” Mr Stirling said.

The 13-block campus is linked by a voice, video and data communication network, is energy efficient and includes outdoor learning areas next to teaching spaces.

Three other schools opened this term, also built under the PPP program where the department of education works in partnership with private consortium Axiom Education, which finances, designs and constructs the schools and provides maintenance, cleaning and security for 30 years.

The schools in population growth areas are: John Palmer Public School, Second Ponds Creek, and Ropes Crossing Public School, St Marys, both in western Sydney; and Tullimbar Public School in the Illawarra area. The schools are oriented to the north to maximise energy efficiency and provide comfortable conditions for staff and students. Communication cabling throughout the buildings allows for extensive