In many respects the type of building shouldn't matter it is the fundamentals that have been badly wrong in Hull and most of the problems stem directly from those running the system AND more importantly the parents & kids who don't give a flying one.

Some of the kids never have a chance because their parents were losers/drop outs and their parents before them, so the parents are in no way capable of supporting their kids education or upbringing for that matter and are not interested in disciplining them because it is too much effort. So you have a vicious cycle that is hard to break but great teachers with back up from strong heads can help but they in turn get screwed over by poor LEA's hence why more & more 'Free' schools are popping up to get away from the control that is killing the chances that kids have.
I was lucky, I left Hull to join the forces as a teen, settled in a nice town and luckily my son went to a fantastically run school (though the other options weren't all that in any case it was our closest). The building was a patched up job (& still is) rebuilt around the same time as the old Branny High that I went too yet the school got 76% 5 A-C the year my son went in. Catchment area was a very large mixture of affluent & not so affluent, certainly many came from isolated villages, housing estates etc.

TBH I'm not even sure the old Bvd. site is an ideal location given the surrounding area. if Hull wants regeneration and have communities were the people can feel proud about where they live they need to flatten the whole lot, rebuild and make sure those who were living there before get a chance to move back again whilst improving the services/amenities. Personally I can't see that happening any time soon.
I really hope that whatever is done for the area it makes a positive difference to peoples lives, not just for them but for the feeling of the city as a whole as I oft get the impression the city is on its knees at times

Who's paying for it?

Hull needs all of the leg ups it can get, especially in education

Definitely. Not sure this is the way to go though.

a new school defenatly not needed imo maybe it provides work but surely its £9.5m into a black whole because a school does not make money!!!!!

What about the money saved on Healthcare, Benefits and Policing that can be expected from a more educated society?

Education needs to be looked at as a long term investment, and Education is currently one of Hull's biggest issues.

to simplify this further, smaller classrooms are correlated with better grades - so it adding a new school that bad?

Should build a prison there instead, it will be more useful.

HMP Hull is perfectly adequate...

To be honest i don't really mind what they turn it into as long as they have a lasting tribute to what was a great historical ground. A permanent mural built into a wall would be nice with maybe a roll of honour underneath?

You really think the money will go into the local economy?

Of course it will, just like the £100's of millions which have already been spent on schools in Hull

i have to agree with your sentiment , you can see a large west yorkshire company winning the tender process and the needy tradesmen of Hull getting nowt!!!

How about calling it the J Harrison VC school ??
couldnt get more apt if it is to be a lasting tribute but more likely to be named after some dodgy labour councillor