By Alesha Capone
HUNDREDS of parents and pupils from a Caroline Springs college gathered last Thursday to launch a campaign save their school, which has been placed into voluntary administration.
The ICA Melton College, which has 229 students and 37 staff members, is a private school at risk of closure.
Parents at the college recently found out Independent Colleges Australia, which also runs a Narre Warren South school, has become financially troubled despite enrolments rising.
On Thursday night, ICA administrator James Downey spoke to the school community, at a meeting also attended by Melton’s deputy mayor Kathy Majdlik and councillor Broden Borg.
Mr Downey said Education Minister Bronwyn Pike had provided emergency funding of $1.5 million to keep the school open until 3 December this year, but after that the college’s future was uncertain.
He said the school site would be sold through Ernst and Young and tenders would close on Monday afternoon, after Star went to print.
“I can’t guarantee there will be a school here next year,” Mr Downey said.
Parent Sam Costanzo is chairman of an action group made up of around 40 family members from the two ICA schools, who hope to make a successful bid for both campuses.
“Kids need to be enrolled for the next year, especially Preps and at a senior level, it’s devastating because of the uncertainty it’s created,” he said.
Cr Majdlik said the council had sent letters about the school’s plight to state and federal politicians and contacted the Prime Minister’s office.
“We will try everything we can in our human capacity to save ICA because it would be a darn shame to lose it for the parents, staff and kids,” she said.
She said parents were “frustrated by the lack of information” about the school’s predicament but “hopefully next Friday we’ll have a good outcome”.
Cr Majdlik said she recently spoke to the Caroline Springs College principal, who had received queries from around 40 parents about the availability of student places next year, in case the ICA school closes.
Mr Downey promised to push the ICA directors to accept a proposal which would see the school purchased by another educational institution, which would continue to run it as usual, although he could not make any promises.
He said parents would know who had purchased the school by Friday this week and so far he has been approached by 35 interested parties, including schools from across the state.
