RESIDENTS in Mooroopna have banded together to lobby for the high school to be reopened as a matter of urgency.
Mooroopna has had its own high school since 1972 before closing last year to make way for Greater Shepparton Secondary College.
The township has formed a “loose coalition” of local businesses, service clubs, educators and residents of Mooroopna and surrounds to advocate for a reopened high school, known as ‘COOL – College of Mooroopna Learning.’
It currently has 190 members and they met last week to spell out a vision for the reopened school and how it will engage with the community.
They are calling for a commitment from the Department of Education that it will not repurpose the site and to meet with the community. Secondly, COOL is calling on more community members to join the campaign, which includes all Greater Shepparton residents; especially the 18,000 residents who live west of Shepparton.
Local candidates in the upcoming state election are invited to meet with community members to outline their commitment to the COOL vision for a re-opened school on Thursday, October 13, 2022 at 5pm at MEAC (The Hub), 23 Alexandra St, Mooroopna.
The COOL group aim to work collaboratively with surrounding towns to support their needs whilst inclusively designing Mooroopna’s new school, so a cohesive community response prevails.
Mooroopna Men’s Shed voted unanimously in support of the campaign last week. At the time of writing, 1,000 signatures have been collected for a petition in the Legislative Council sponsored by Wendy Lovell MP.
“In celebrating 150 years of public education in Victoria, COOL will start to discuss our claims with local community leaders, council, political candidates and beyond so the roughly 18,000 people west of Shepparton can be serviced well again,” said Dr Lea Campbell, a COOL spokesperson.
