THE future of the Tantanoola Primary School is under a cloud following revelations just one student is currently enrolled at the facility for 2020.
The school farewelled principal Lesley Okholm, nine students and two teachers on the last day of the 2019 year, with one student expected to remain at the school next year.
Earlier this year, the school sought feedback from its parent community on whether to keep the doors open following a rapid decline in enrolment numbers.
The vote indicated a majority of respondents were in favour of keeping the school open, despite an expected three enrolments for the 2020 school year.
However, two of the expected enrolments have since indicated they will not attend Tantanoola Primary School.
Ms Okholm said the school community tried hard to boost enrolments, which have slipped to 13 students over the last five years.
“We had a number of potential Reception students coming to the school, but they looked at the situation and decided against enrolling at the school,” she said.
“The school tried every angle, we held an open day and information sessions, but people are not looking to come.”
Ms Okholm said preparations had been undertaken at the 136-year-old site to ensure classroom space and staff levels were suitable for the sole primary school student.
“If the school has one student on day one, which I imagine it will, there will be staff here,” she said.
“We have done a few things to prepare and we will be moving the classroom into the administration block to ensure more than one adult is around the child.
“The teacher and administration staff will be on deck, but at this stage we do not have a principal at the school for 2020.”
The Education Department said the future viability of the school – including the closure or amalgamation – will be addressed in accordance with state legislation.
The department said a government school can be closed following the majority of parents of the students voting in favour of the closure or following an external review by Education Minister John Gardner.
In a statement, Mr Gardner said he was working through options with “relevant members of the local community”.
Mr Gardner’s office was unable to provide a timeframe as to when a decision will be made, but said the minister was working through the situation as quickly as possible.
