P and C calls on The Anglican Schools Corporation to consider sale to NSW Government

At a public meeting at the high school on Monday P and C president Matt Knight presented a letter the body was sending to the board of The Anglican Schools Corporation expressing concerns about any sale to a private investor, rather than the state government.

“The former SAS site in Milton is not being fully utilised and the local community are keen to see this valuable resource used for education in the local community,” Mr Knight said.

Mr Knight said the P and C was concerned about any possible sale of the former SAS site to a “body outside our community”.

“The P and C strongly encourages the corporation (TASC) to consider a sale to the NSW State Government, so that the facility can an asset to be utilised for the betterment of children in our community,” he said.

The letter follows Shoalhaven City Councillors agreeing to urge the state government to purchase the site during a meeting in April.

Milton mother Rebecca Cameron also wrote a letter to the Times, appealing to the board of TASC to “keep this site as a school facility for the use of local children, not for it to be sold to the highest bidder with no interest in our town or our community”.

In March, an unnamed “concerned parent of Milton” also delivered a letter to the Times saying an international development company had carried out “geo-tech and surveying of the site with plans to bulldoze the school entirely”.

Mr Knight, who works as a buyer’s agent in Ulladulla, said he saw “first hand” people moving to the Shoalhaven because of its lifestyle. 

He believed the region would continue to see further growth in population which was concerning for Ulladulla High School – the only secondary school in a one-hour radius.

Ulladulla High School’s role has 1200 students – the second largest secondary in the Shoalhaven.

“The picture is there is a lot of great learning happening there, but there is an overflow of students from a limited number of classes to other spaces,” he said. 

“The P and C is concerned about overcrowding, particularly given the trend at the moment of growth in our area.

“We do have some smaller classes that are running in seminar rooms to relieve the pressure on classrooms or rooms that are not available because there are a lack of learning spaces to meet class demand at present.”

Next year’s projections suggest the school may need a fifth demountable classroom to cope with transitioning year 7 students from two feeder primary schools, Mr Knight said.

Mr Knight also urged further consultation with both the P and C and UIladulla High School executive if a decision is progressed because potential for a second facility was “super important”, but also consideration should be given to a senior campus to support the education outcomes at Ulladulla High School.