For 95 years, St Cecilia’s Catholic School has been the heart of Balgowlah’s community, bringing families together through faith and learning since 1930. Generations of grandparents, parents and children have shared the same classrooms and playgrounds. It is more than just a school - it's a place where friendships grow, families connect and our community comes together.

This week, we were informed about its closure at a P&F meeting that was run without any care or consideration for our children or community.  The announcement has left most parents worried about the continuity of our children's education, their friendships being separated and the impact on our wonderful school community. Our wonderful teachers are also uncertain of their futures.

The closure news blindsided parents, teachers and our Parish priests and staff. It not only disrupts the lives of the students currently enrolled but also breaks up the community of parents and educators who have worked together to support our children's education. 

Catholic Schools Broken Bay has given us four months' notice to move our children to new schools. This is absolutely shameful as we know this planning has been years in the making.

They have also told us that we were consulted but this is an absolute lie. There is no evidence anywhere that any parent was informed about the potential closure. True consultation means engaging with key stakeholders before a decision has been made.

We demand full transparency from Catholic Schools Broken Bay. We want all records of the closure decision presented to us and an independent review on how the decision was handled.  

Had parents been aware, they would never have enrolled their Kindergarten children to simply be uprooted a year later. For other parents, they too would have made different decisions to ensure there were no disruptions to their children's education and wellbeing. 

Closing a small catholic primary school will dramatically change families’ decisions based on logistics and whether they choose a catholic education at all. Pressures of working parents mean logistics transporting out of area won’t be achievable for many and hence this decision is incredibly short sighted. 

Prioritising St Paul’s instead of setting foundations the strong values for younger children, that attracted so many of us to the school initially means a lost opportunity for so many to have access to primary catholic education in the first place.

Please sign the petition and help us save St. Cecilia's, allowing families the right to make informed decisions about their children's educational future without having the decision made for them. 

Sign this petition to save St. Cecilia's Primary School - for our children, our families, and our community in Balgowlah.