Speculation has been growing over the future of North Wagga’s only school, with rumours rife the public institution could be moved to neighbouring suburb Estella.
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But the NSW government has moved to quash concerns by saying there are no plans to close North Wagga Public School (NWPS).
The school has experienced flooding in recent years, but has enjoyed a steady growth of students over the past 20 years.
North Wagga Residents' Association president Dan Grentell said chatter about NWPS moving suburbs had been around from when he attended the school.
“I don’t see why they’d shut North Wagga Public,” Mr Grentell said.
“It is very full now – they put on a new classroom at the start of the year.”
Mr Grentell said NWPS received students from Estella, Oura, Wantabadgery and Cartwrights Hill, on top of its own suburb, and said the area could easily accommodate two schools, especially including fast-growing suburbs Gobbagombalin and Boorooma.
Boorooma is in the NWPS catchment, while Gobbagombalin is zoned to Wagga Public School.
“The land earmarked for a school in Estella is a good size, but it’s not really that big (to build a larger school),” Mr Grentell said.
“I don’t see a school (being built) out there in the next 10 years.”
Estella Progress Association president Graham Cotter said unless the new school was substantially larger than NWPS, an entirely new school would be needed.
“(A similarly sized school) would not alleviate the problem (of the student population) in the future,” Mr Cotter said.
“From our community meetings, people would like to see a school developed here.”
Council has set aside land for a school, located at the corner of Avocet and Rainbow Drive. The quickly expanding suburbs are fertile ground for young families.
The NSW Department of Education said the student landscape was fluid.
“Department of Education demographers constantly monitor changes in population and forecast the long-term effect of this change on schools,” a spokesman said.
Council population forecasts predict the area will balloon out to more than 10,000 residents within the next 10 years.
Member for Wagga Daryl Maguire said a new school in the area was on his list.
“I’ve asked for provisions to be made in the poles and wires money for a school,” Mr Maguire said, adding the northern part of the city was rapidly growing.
“We need to think to the future and the future of the city is spreading north.”
Mr Maguire said the education department would monitor the situation, and that no decisions had been made on the future of NWPS.
“North Wagga Public School continues to enjoy community support,” he said.
“When the time comes, the decision will be made on what is best for the students.”