UPDATED: Property sales fuel speculation about school at Tambar Springs

UPDATE Friday, 4pm: A spokesperson from the Department of Education told the Gunnedah Times:

“The Department of Education is carrying out consultation with the Tambar Springs Public School community throughout Term 4, 2024, given the current anticipated enrolment for 2025 is two students. .

“Providing the best quality education to local students will be the basis of any deliberation.”

The Department also added that community consultation includes hearing feedback on changing enrolment needs at Tambar Springs Public School in 2025.

It said consultation is around the potential of placing the school into recess, not closing the school, and no decision has been made.

Placing a school in recess means that while the school grounds and facilities are maintained, there will be no staff or students attending the school, the department said. Should prospective enrolments rise substantially, the decision to put a school into recess can be reversed, at which point the school can become fully operational again.

EARLIER …..

Speculation about a snap sale of Tambar Springs rental properties is fueling talk the local school could be forced to shut its doors.

A community meeting was held in Tambar Springs this week to discuss the viability of the primary school remaining open.

The meeting was hosted by the NSW Department of Education on Monday.

Bruce Hockings from the Tambar Springs Progress Association was among the attendees.

He said the school’s uncertainty stemmed from the recent sale of several homes in the village. The properties are among about 8-10 owned by the same landlord in Tambar Springs, including the local post office.

The properties are believed to have been purchased about a decade ago when it was not uncommon for houses to be sold for as little as $50,000.

The price of homes in the village have more than doubled since then but are still well below the average in Gunnedah.

Mr Hockings said the corresponding high price of rent in Gunnedah was also driving more people out of town and into villages like Tambar Springs.

“I think [the Tambar homes] are selling because the rent in Gunnedah is horrendous,” Mr Hockings said.

Children in the Tambar area have the benefit of several schools in the area, including their nearest neighbours in Mullaley and Premer but also further away at Spring Ridge, Coolah and even Coonabarabran.

When the Tambar Springs community met for a discussion about the future of the school this week, definite numbers were not clear due to the housing situation.

“There was talk of some going to Premer but only if their house was sold,” Mr Hockings said.

About half a dozen students are currently enrolled at Tambar but numbers have been as low as two in recent times.

Mr Hockings, who was a former pupil at Tambar Springs Public School, said the student numbers often fluctuated in waves depending on the season, employment and a myriad of other factors.

This includes bus services to other schools which pick up from the farm gate and siblings already enrolled at bigger schools.

He recalled Tambar’s student cohort being as strong as 100 when he started school but whittled down to about 30 by the time he finished.

Mr Hockings said Tambar’s school staff do a “great job” for the students with the resources they have but said realistically, the school’s continued operation is dependent on the Department of Education and decision of individual families about where they send their children.

Premer Public School pupils returned to the classroom in 2022 after several years of the school in recess due to low student enrolment.

The NSW Department of Education was contacted for comment.