And both have backed North Orange as the location.

The popularity of Orange High School, and the population growth in the Shiralee housing development - which sits within the high school's catchment area - and along the Northern Distributor, have led to calls for planning on a new high school to begin.

"Due to the growth of Orange, which is good, and the expansion south and north, we're going to have to look at having another high school for Orange," Mr Donato said.

"Obviously North Orange is growing, with all the sub-divisions, and so I would've thought there would be sufficient demand up there for one."

"Orange High School has been an enormous success, but the school is already at 1100-odd students," Cr Kidd said.

He pointed to state government-owned land on Kearney's Drive near the Botanic Gardens used by Orange High School for agricultural purposes: "If you think of growth out in the north of Orange, where would be the obvious place for a new school?"

A NSW Department of Education spokesperson said "the department monitors population and development trends so that it can plan to meet enrolment needs in schools across NSW. The department will continue to monitor enrolment demand in the Orange area, to ensure appropriate educational infrastructure is provided for the community."

Cr Kidd, a former OHS student, recalled a time in the mid-1960s when Canobolas High School was number 30 on a list of new schools to be built. When the local MP Sir Charles Cutler was made deputy premier and education minister in 1965 the school shot up the charts to number two.

Sir Charles opened the school's Icely Road campus in 1968.

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