Catholic parents in the Southern Highlands say they were blindsided by a bishop's decision to close St Michael's primary school in Mittagong in 2029, with the school to be merged into a new parish school about five kilometres away in Bowral.
Families of the 180 students at St Michael's Catholic Parish Primary School were told on Thursday that the school would merge with St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish Primary School in Bowral from 2029. Bishop of Wollongong Brian Mascord, who informed parents by letter, described the move as “an amalgamation” of the two schools. The new school will be called Corpus Christi Catholic Parish Primary School and will be located at the former St Thomas' campus in Bowral.
The closure comes against a backdrop of cost-cutting in Catholic schools across NSW. Earlier this year, more than a dozen northern beaches Catholic schools were told they would have to share a principal, while the Newcastle-Maitland diocese made more than 50 school librarian jobs redundant. The sector's peak body, Catholic Schools NSW, has also been the subject of a corruption inquiry.
Mascord said the decision followed a proposal from the Mittagong-Bowral parish and factored in data and the diverse needs of the region. “I know this news may come as a shock and may bring uncertainty and concern for families,” he wrote. “At present, there are needs within the Mittagong-Bowral (and broader Southern Highlands) region that are going unmet.” He said no decision had been made about how the Mittagong site might be used from 2029, but the change would let the parish explore options to meet broader community needs.
Jennifer Hogan, whose son is in kindergarten at St Michael's, said parents were given no warning. “The staff weren't given any warning,” she said. “The whole thing feels gross: no consultation, no warning, and the information is convoluted.” She said the Southern Highlands was booming and questioned why a whole school would be deleted.
Father Sean Cullen, the parish priest, said the Bowral school's enrolments had fallen from 380 a decade ago to 220 this year. “One of the reasons for that is that Bowral is an expensive place to live and people with young people can't afford to live there,” he said. He said the merger would deliver “one vibrant school”, and that the parish had considered moving the school to Mittagong, but the Bowral school had more land and its larger church could accommodate the entire school. The future of the Mittagong site was unknown, he said, though the Highlands had an older population and there could be a need for some care for the aged.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The decision affects 180 students and their families, who say they were given no warning or consultation before the announcement.
- It highlights financial pressures across Catholic schools in NSW, including shared principals, librarian redundancies and a corruption inquiry into the sector's peak body.
- The future of the Mittagong site remains unresolved, with aged care floated as a possible use in a region with an ageing population.
Background
Catholic schools in NSW have been cutting costs under financial pressure. Earlier this year, more than a dozen northern beaches schools were told to share a principal, the Newcastle-Maitland diocese cut more than 50 school librarian jobs, and Catholic Schools NSW has been subject to a corruption inquiry. In the Southern Highlands, the parish proposed the amalgamation, with the Bowral school's enrolments falling from about 380 a decade ago to 220 this year.
Key Perspectives
- Bishop Brian Mascord: Called the move an “amalgamation” of two schools, made in response to a parish proposal and based on data and the diverse needs of the region. He said no decision has been made on the Mittagong site's future.
- Father Sean Cullen: Said the Bowral school's numbers declined because the area is too expensive for families with young children, and the merger will deliver “one vibrant school”.
- Parent Jennifer Hogan: Said there was “no consultation, no warning”, that the Southern Highlands is booming, and that closing a school makes little sense.
What to Watch
- Whether the diocese announces a use for the Mittagong site before the 2029 closure, with aged care raised as a possibility.
- Whether families of the 180 students move to the new Corpus Christi school in Bowral or seek places elsewhere.
- Whether the broader cost-cutting across NSW Catholic schools, including the inquiry into Catholic Schools NSW, leads to further mergers.
Checked
9 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 7 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe headline quotes the question, “Why would you delete a whole school?”Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““They’ve told us that a whole school is closing ... Is that because there is no other option? It doesn’t make sense – the Southern Highlands is booming. Why would you delete a whole school?””
- SupportedSt Michael’s is set to close in 2029.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “St Michael’s at Mittagong will cease operations with students sent to another school in 2029.”
- Partly supportedCatholic parents say they were blindsided by the bishop’s decision.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Catholic parents in the Southern Highlands have been blindsided by a bishop’s decision to close their school in two years’ time.”
- SupportedThe bishop called the move an “amalgamation”.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Informing parents of the decision, the Bishop of Wollongong, Brian Mascord, branded the new arrangements “an amalgamation” of the two schools.”
- SupportedJennifer Hogan said there was no warning.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““The whole thing feels gross: no consultation, no warning, and the information is convoluted.””
- SupportedFamilies of 180 students were told on Thursday that St Michael’s would merge with St Thomas Aquinas in Bowral in 2029.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “On Thursday, families of the 180 students at St Michael’s Catholic Parish Primary School, Mittagong were told that in 2029 their school would be merged with St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish Primary School, Bowral, which is five kilometres away.”
- SupportedThe new school will be called Corpus Christi Catholic Parish Primary School and use the former St Thomas’ campus in Bowral.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The new school will be called Corpus Christi Catholic Parish Primary School and be located in the former St Thomas’ campus in Bowral.”
- SupportedCullen said Bowral enrolments fell from 380 a decade ago to 220 this year.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Enrolment data shows they dropped from 380 a decade to 220 this year.”
- Partly supportedCullen said Bowral is expensive and people with young people cannot afford to live there.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““And one of the reasons for that is [that] Bowral is an expensive place to live and people with young people can’t afford to live there,” he said.”