Act now for a Bungendore high school by 2022!

A group of local parents and grandparents concerned about our children’s future secondary education has formed the Bungendore High School Action Group. Our aim is to actively engage the community and our political representatives to build a public high school in Bungendore by 2022. This builds on previous community efforts to get this issue on the political agenda.

The Bungendore region has seen significant population growth in recent years with over 980 students in the local primary schools in Bungendore, Sutton, Tarago, Captains Flat and Gundaroo. By 2022 there will be around 1,100 children of high school age in the area (assuming no population growth).

Every day more than 20 buses take our teenagers to schools outside the Bungendore region and many more travel with family to reduce commute times. Our children spend wasted hours on needless journeys. When children reach high school age many families leave the area to avoid the long, tiring commutes for their teenage children. This has many impacts on our community, including the loss of close friends.

The ACT Government has said it can no longer provide a central Canberra high school choice to NSW students. Some ACT non-government schools have also said that they can no longer guarantee places for 2019.

In a 2015 survey, 97 per cent of the community supported a high school in Bungendore, with 80 per cent favouring a public high school. Three out of four respondents said a high school would influence their decision to stay in the area.

Support for a local high school also exists from families in Bywong, Wamboin, Hoskinstown, Mount Fairy Tarago, Sutton, Lake Bathurst, Captains Flat, Gundaroo and all the rural residential properties in between.

The benefits of a local high school for students, include the ability to maintain friendships made in primary school, time for local sport and cultural activities, and more time for study and family life, ultimately leading to better academic and social outcomes. A high school would bring economic benefits to Bungendore, and would boost Bungendore as a place to live and raise children.

We now have a population large enough to support a Bungendore high school and we believe the time is right to gain a firm commitment for this to happen.

There is no longer a reason that Bungendore and surrounding areas should not have a dedicated high school.

How can you help? In the coming weeks please sign the community petition that will be presented to State Parliament. Let John Barilaro, our state member, know your concerns and that you support a high school for Bungendore (John Barilaro, monaro@parliament.nsw.gov.au). Contact Bryce Wilson, Country Labor (bryce.wilson@countrylabor.com.au) too. And most importantly contact us if you want to help or find out more.

Bungendore High School Action Group bungendorehighschoolag@gmail.com