Parents at Campbell Primary School are frustrated and angry over extensive delays to building work which has forced four classes into the library and reduced the amount of time children can play outside.
Students should be enjoying brand-new buildings this term, but the school community was told in December that the construction would not be ready in time.
The majority of students have been working in demountable classrooms since asbestos-riddled buildings were demolished in 2018.
The ACT government allocated $18.8 million for the modernisation project in the 2018-19 budget but construction didn't start until early 2021.
A scathing audit by the ACT Auditor-General found the tender process lacked probity and the tender was awarded to Lendlease against the recommendations made by two evaluation teams.
Over the summer holidays the last remaining permanent classrooms were demolished, forcing the year five and six classes to move into the library and the library to move into the staff room.
Children have had their outside play time shortened to 30 minutes with half of the school using the playground at a time because the construction has taken up significant outdoor space.
Simon Troeth, who has children in year 4 and year 6 at the school, said some parents had moved their children to private or Catholic schools because of the poor facilities and disruption to learning.
"I think the students and teachers of Campbell deserve better than the treatment that they're getting from the ACT government in relation to this project," he said.
"They've had enough of being cooped up ... That has a direct bearing on their ability to learn, their ability to retain information, but to also enjoy their education.
"It should be the best years of their life and instead they're suffering and the school is suffering because of the mismanagement of this project."
School board member Dr Carina Kemp said parents were questioning the size of the budget for the extensive renovation when new schools were allocated more than $40 million.
She said the year five and six students didn't have enough chairs and the space was so noisy that teachers had to do a video meeting in the classroom so they could hear properly.
"One of our complaints with the Education Directorate is they haven't been communicating very well what the timelines are and won't actually give us a date [for completion]," Dr Kemp said.
"The Directorate hasn't responded to many of our emails and so it's just really disappointing."
An Education Directorate spokeswoman said delays to construction can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, labour and supply chain complications, and significant periods of rain.
The spokeswoman denied that any student was using the library as a classroom.
"The building that used to be the library has been converted into learning spaces dedicated to the four classes of years 5 and 6 at the school," she said.
"In addition to the former library space these classes are accessing a court yard and another classroom."
The spokeswoman said the building and landscaping work on the Campbell Primary School modernisation project was expected to be complete by April 2022.
One of the building wings that was demolished in the school holidays contained hazardous material, meaning construction halted on the rest of the build for six weeks while demolition was underway over the school holidays.
The spokeswoman said the construction of a new school on a greenfields site was not financially comparable to a renovation or modernisation project.
"At Campbell there is no requirement to build a new Administration building, Library, Hall or Preschool, carparks or other site infrastructure or services," she said.
She said $940,000 has been committed from the construction budget for landscaping, with additional provision for hardscape and Disability Discrimination Act (DAA) compliance.
"This project has been particularly challenging because construction has had to occur while the school remains operational.
"We acknowledge the project has caused disruption for the Campbell Primary School community and thank them for their perseverance as the Education Directorate has managed the delays."
The ACT government will respond to the ACT Auditor-General's report recommendations early this year.
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