School infrastructure data has sparked a clash between Nationals MP for Ovens Valley Tim McCurdy and the Victorian Government, with both sides trading claims over the state of local classrooms and the accuracy of condition assessments.

Mr McCurdy said data obtained through a lengthy Freedom of Information process shows several Ovens Valley schools sit well below the state average Condition Assessment Score (CAS), which measures the state of government school buildings on a scale from zero to five, taking into account maintenance backlogs, building defects and damage across school infrastructure.

The statewide average score is 3.48, while Mount Beauty Secondary College recorded 3.23 and Yarrawonga College P–12 recorded 3.22.

Mr McCurdy said the numbers support long‑standing concerns raised by parents and teachers.

“Families in Ovens Valley expect their local schools to be safe, well‑maintained places where children can learn and thrive,” he said.

“These results show that too many students in our region are attending schools that have been allowed to deteriorate under Labor’s watch.”

Mr McCurdy also accused the Allan Labor Government of failing to deliver promised school upgrades and cutting billions from education in the most recent State Budget.

“Labor can talk all it likes about being the ‘education state’, but when local schools are falling into disrepair, those claims ring hollow,” he said.

“Our students deserve better, and the government must urgently prioritise fixing and upgrading schools in regional Victoria, including right here in Ovens Valley.”

The Victorian Department of Education pushed back strongly, arguing that the figures cited by Mr McCurdy were outdated and not representative of current school conditions.

A department spokesperson said the condition scores were from 2023 and are updated as maintenance work is completed.

“These condition scores date back to 2023 and do not reflect the current condition of many schools," the spokesperson said.

"Upon receiving their condition scores, the Department of Education works directly with the schools to identify defects, prioritise them and then provide funding, guidance and support to resolve them to ensure that schools remain safe and in good condition."

“Over 98 per cent of aggregated scores are Fair or better.”

The department also said a school’s CAS is only one factor considered in funding decisions, and that maintenance work can quickly make the score outdated.

The government highlighted more than $159 million in recent school infrastructure spending across the Alpine, Moira and Wangaratta local government areas, including:

Mount Beauty Primary School where $2.316 million was allocated in 2021–22 and a further $1.37 million in 2023 to upgrade and modernise facilities, including Block C.

Yarrawonga College P–12 that received a share of $10 million in the 2025–26 budget for planning and design of future upgrades, with ongoing plans to consolidate the school’s campuses.

A second Victorian Government spokesperson said the Nationals’ claims about the condition scores were misleading.

“We won't be lectured by the Nationals who let schools crumble and decay while slashing $1 billion from the education budget when they were last in government with the Liberals," the spokesperson said.

"We are making sure all Victorian students and staff have safe and modern learning spaces."

"The claim made by the Nationals that 3.22 is a poor condition score is false.

"None of the schools listed received a poor condition score.

"Under the Liberal/National Government only $105 million was allocated to maintain our schools, the annual budget for school maintenance and compliance is now over $600 million, a nearly six-fold increase."