Plans to open a new high school at the former Mowbray College site next year have been shelved after a poor response to enrolments.
West Lakes Grammar School was scheduled to open in Caroline Springs next year. But the new school board has been deregistered and the principal who had been appointed for the new school is now seeking another job.
Wyndham businessman and councillor Intaj Khan announced earlier this year that West Lakes Grammar School would open for year seven and eight students in February 2015.
“We’re really disappointed in having to make this decision, but registration required many more young people than we had enrolled,” Mr Khan said last week.
He said that despite a positive open day, when more than 200 people attended, the enthusiasm did not translate to enrolments.
Mr Khan, who knocked back offers from developers and the chance to make almost $4 million on the site, told Star Weekly in July the proposed school was budgeting for an initial total enrolment of 120 students.
Education consultant and La Trobe University professor David Warner said many people were hurt by the Mowbray experience and were reluctant to commit to a new venture on the same site.
“People at the open day talked a lot about their hurt with the closing of Mowbray and … were expressing a disinclination to trust that the wonderful philanthropy of Intaj Khan was real,” he said.
“Intaj is disappointed as he had many opportunities to do other things, but committed himself to his belief in a new high-standard secondary school for Caroline Springs and Melton.”
Mr Khan said he was disappointed for people who had enrolled for the new school.
“But … it’s better to know now than when it was too late to find another good school,” he said.
“There will be further information early in 2015 if the project goes ahead in 2016.”
