Dome Combined School welcomed 27 Grade One learners and the school’s first grade 11s at the start of the new school year.

The school now has a total of 420 learners, and started the new academic year with a shortage of three classrooms.

A final announcement of when learners and personnel will be moving to the new school premises in Fourth Avenue, is still awaited.

Free State MEC for Public Works and Infrastructure, Dibolelo Mance inspected the construction site in November 2025 to assess progress and ensure that measures are in place to accelerate completion and occupation of the school building.

She urged contractors and departments to intensify their efforts to complete infrastructure projects on time, saying communities deserve prompt and efficient service delivery.

Speaking during her oversight visit to the construction site, Mance emphasised the importance of accountability and urgency especially when delivering projects to client departments. “We must put extra effort into ensuring that our projects are completed and handed over efficiently,” said Mance.

“We must deliver without delays,” she emphasised.

Mance acknowledged that the project had experienced delays due to various challenges, but assured that her department, together with the Department of Education, the contractor, and consultants, remain committed to completing it.

“We will go back to the drawing board with the education department to agree on realistic timelines so that decisions are informed and accurate.

Our goal is to see children learning on these premises in the first quarter of the 2026 school year,” she said.

She also promised to closely monitor the project as one of the five key commitments outlined in her department’s budget vote.