Mount Carmel College Ltd has been granted use of the current buildings to house an independent high school after signing a lease with the Yass Catholic parish.
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The win has renewed hopes that secondary school students will be able to continue their education in Yass in 2015.
Archbishop Christopher Prowse has previously rejected a bid by the Yass community to set up its own secondary school after the Catholic Education Office announced it would close down the current 7-10 facility at the end of the year due to low enrolments. In doing so, he had also refused their use of the school's property, uniforms or buildings.
The lease between the Yass Parish and Mt Carmel College Ltd will enable the school buildings to be used by the new independent high school, which will operate in the Catholic tradition.
“This agreement shows the commitment the people of Yass region, and in particular the Catholic community, have to providing education choice in Yass,” said Kirsty Dwyer, chair of the Mt Carmel Steering Committee which has now been superseded by the Board of Directors of Mt Carmel College Ltd.
The community-run steering committee had already provided a financially sound model, designed to meet the needs of a rural community and to deliver educational excellence, she said.
“Now we have the rooms that are the final element for our application to the Board of Studies,” said Mrs Dwyer.
“We are extremely optimistic that in September we will be able to announce a local option for families in Yass that will challenge any decisions they’ve had to make in recent months.”
“The community has pushed hard for continuity for current students and we are overjoyed at the latest step toward reaching this goal.”
“We were shocked in March when the Catholic Education Office announced that the high school would be closed without any consultation.”
“Mt Carmel has been operating for over 160 years. There is a need for it in our community and we’ve accepted the challenge to run the high school independently and remain committed to Catholic teaching.”
The community was informed of the latest developments at an open meeting followed by the inaugural Annual General Meeting of Mt Carmel College Ltd where the School Board was elected.
The School Board consisting of new and existing Directors from the Steering Committee will now take carriage of the plan to be open in 2015.
“There is still a lot of work to be done but we are making progress with the latest development a major step forward for our kids,” Mrs Dwyer said.
“The families of Yass region deserve to be treated with the same respect as city counterparts. Our kids deserve local opportunities so they can be an integral and vibrant part of the fabric of our community.”
