GREENBANK parents say a state government plan to build a new secondary school in the area by 2021 is too little too late.
A report of the Queensland Schools Planning Commission predicts 100 new schools are needed by 2031, to cater for 257,000 extra school-aged children state wide.
Twelve of those schools would be located in the Jimboomba region with Greenbank and Yarrabilba both identified as high-growth areas.
Greenbank is set to receive one secondary school by 2021, to cater for an influx of 1422 new students.
A further increase of 2333 students is expected by 2031, requiring one or two more schools.
Parents in the Greenbank area say a secondary school is long overdue.
"Greenbank definitely needs a high school because we aren't in catchment for anything here," New Beith mother Lisa Scanlon said.
"And it's a growing area."
North Maclean mother Barbara Lohry said the planned schools would come too late for her children.
"We've been waiting for a high school in Pub Lane for the last eight years," she said.
"I've got one that starts high school next year and I haven't even enrolled him yet, because we're not in zone."
Greenbank's primary school population is expected to increase by 1586 by 2021 and a further 2823 by 2031.
The report identifies the need for an additional capacity of one or two new primary schools by 2021 and an additional three new primary schools by 2031.
In Yarrabilba, the secondary school population is expected to increase by 1161 by 2021, requiring one new secondary school, and a further 1857 by 2031, needing one or two more schools.
The report predicts 1112 new primary school students at Yarrabilba by 2021 and a further 2128 primary school students by 2031.
To meet this growth, two new primary schools would be needed by 2021 and two more after that.
Beaudesert MP Jon Krause said the report was the first to co-ordinate planning across all school sectors, including private schools.
"With growth comes new pressures on our school infrastructure," Mr Krause said.
"The government recognises these challenges, and that's why we have a strong plan to invest for a brighter future."
Mr Krause said the government proposed to invest $1 billion to a Future Schools Fund if plans to privatise state assets go ahead.
