The Cook Labor Government’s Cool the Schools commitment covers 45 Western Australian public schools slated to receive new reverse-cycle air-conditioning. The official 2025 budget announcement put the commitment at $89.1 million, with $43.3 million funded in the 2025–26 budget. A later budget describes further funding for Cool the Schools alongside a separate minor-upgrade program, but does not confirm how many of the 45 installations are complete.
What is the Cool the Schools program?
Announced by Premier Roger Cook on 4 February 2025, Cool the Schools is a program to retrofit 45 public schools across WA with new reverse-cycle air-conditioning. The initial announcement was conditional on Labor being re-elected. The WA Government’s 11 June 2025 budget statement subsequently said the rollout would begin and specified the funding commitment.
Reverse-cycle systems provide heating as well as cooling. This is the technology identified in the government’s announcement; the published material does not specify equipment models or technical designs for individual schools. The government described the work as an upgrade to ageing school infrastructure.
How much funding has been announced?
| Announcement | Amount and scope | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| WA Government, 11 June 2025 | $89.1 million total commitment; $43.3 million funded in the 2025–26 budget | Funding for the initial Cool the Schools rollout at 45 schools. |
| WA Government, 20 April 2026; confirmed in the WA State Budget education overview reviewed 7 May 2026 | $86.9 million for final tranches of Cool the Schools and minor-upgrade election commitments; over 100 upgrades combined | Funding and upgrade totals across both commitments, not air-conditioning spending or completed Cool the Schools installations alone. |
The later $86.9 million figure should not be read as the cost of the air-conditioning program: it covers final tranches of both Cool the Schools and minor-upgrade commitments. Nor does the combined total of over 100 upgrades establish that all 45 school air-conditioning projects have been finished.
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Which WA schools were on the announced list?
PerthNow’s 4 February 2025 report published the following 45 schools and indicative project amounts. These are figures reported at announcement, not independently confirmed final contract costs.
| School | Reported amount |
|---|---|
| Serpentine Primary School | $1 million |
| Dardanup Primary School | $1.4 million |
| Picton Primary School | $1 million |
| Canning Vale Primary School | $2.8 million |
| Mount Helena Primary School | $823,000 |
| White Gum Valley Primary School | $1.7 million |
| Dianella Heights Primary School | $1.9 million |
| Pinjarra Primary School | $2.8 million |
| Embleton Primary School | $1.6 million |
| High Wycombe Primary School | $823,000 |
| Tuart Hill Primary School | $1.8 million |
| Kalgoorlie Primary School | $800,000 |
| Lathlain Primary School | $850,000 |
| Newborough Primary School | $4.5 million |
| Rossmoyne Primary School | $2.2 million |
| Mukinbudin Primary School | $677,000 |
| Attadale Primary School | $960,000 |
| Bicton Primary School | $2.5 million |
| Palmyra Primary School | $1.1 million |
| Richmond Primary School | $1.9 million |
| Gwynne Park Primary School | $250,000 |
| Leonora District High School | $1 million |
| Herne Hill Primary School | $769,000 |
| Dawson Park Primary School | $2.2 million |
| Harvey Primary School | $970,000 |
| Ardross Primary School | $2 million |
| Beaconsfield Primary School | $2.2 million |
| Kalamunda Primary School | $2.6 million |
| Bindoon Primary School | $1.1 million |
| Belmay Primary School | $2 million |
| Booragoon Primary School | $2.3 million |
| Belmont City College | $3 million |
| Kewdale Primary School | $2.3 million |
| Spearwood Primary School | $2.2 million |
| Coogee Primary School | $2 million |
| Mundaring Primary School | $2.2 million |
| Orelia Primary School | $3.5 million |
| Morley Senior High School | $3.2 million |
| East Maddington Primary School | $5 million |
| Gosnells Primary School | $3 million |
| Ellenbrook Secondary College | $4 million |
| Eden Hill Primary School | $2.2 million |
| Burrendah Primary School | $1.2 million |
| Bull Creek Primary School | $3.5 million |
| Ashfield Primary School | $1.3 million |
Have the 45 air-conditioning upgrades been completed?
The official WA budget announcements reviewed through May 2026 describe funding and program scope, but do not provide a count of completed installations or a current school-by-school schedule. As a result, the number of the 45 projects completed is not established by those announcements. Funding for a rollout or a final tranche is not itself proof that an installation is finished.
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Why can school air-conditioning retrofits be complex?
At the February 2025 announcement, Cook said some projects require old systems to be removed and electrical wiring upgraded. He described Newborough Primary School as a major job, with $4.5 million reported for that site in PerthNow’s contemporaneous list. The example helps explain why costs differ between schools, but the published list does not break down the work behind each amount.
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Sources
- WA Government, “Investment in new schools, facilities for WA’s growing population,” 11 June 2025
- WA Government, “Cook Labor Government to invest $2.1 billion in WA schools,” 20 April 2026
- Western Australia State Budget, 2026–27 education overview
- PerthNow, “Older schools across WA to get upgraded air-conditioning under third-term Labor Government,” 4 February 2025
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