The ACT Education and Training Department said that the NSW Government does not provide any direct funding to the ACT Government for schooling a student who lives in NSW and NSW students are at the bottom of the pecking order. 

In response, a spokesperson from the NSW Department of Education, representing the Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli, said  the Department has reviewed its demographic projections for the need for a new primary school in Murrumbateman.

“Given the current trends and projected demand, the Department believes that a new school will not be required in Murrumbateman until after 2026,” the spokesperson said.

“The Department will continue to monitor growth in the Murrumbateman area to determine if circumstances change.”

In response to the lack of NSW funding for these children attending ACT schools, the spokesperson said that the ACT and NSW has a Memorandum of Understanding to enable a regional approach in the areas of health and education.

“This allows students to attend schools across the NSW and ACT border. NSW students that attend ACT schools do this out of personal choice instead of attending their in-area schools in Yass.”

President of the Parents and Friends Murrumbateman School Association, Mike Reid, said that there are some real problems with the Needs Analysis Report and described the Department's response as a white wash.

“What they are doing is providing us with the same response ... even though we have written back saying that it is wrong, they haven’t given us any reason why they are ignoring it,” Mr Reid said.

“There are no suggestions on how to move forward; whether there is a certain population we have to reach or any suggestions as to how we can prove we need this school, they are just not giving us any reasons at all why they are rejecting it. 

“When you have a handful of children that live near the border it’s not about schooling 400 students, the policy was not meant to be for a small amount of numbers. 

Mr Reid is at his wit's end and is frustrated that the Department won’t even sit down and discuss the issue with the group.

“The cross border arrangement is for public schooling, now with the capacity issues parents are being forced to send their kids to private schools.

“What the department is saying is that the children from Murrumbateman can’t be facilitated by the Yass Valley and so they are relying on the cross border agreement, that agreement is just not working. This is just not acceptable.”

Mr Reid and the Parents and Friends Murrumbateman School Association are determined to keep fighting for a school in Murrumbateman as they believe Yass Valley children deserve better.