Lifeline for Levendale
Posted
David Bartlett met members of the Levendale community at the school today. (ABC News)
The Premier has extended a lifeline to the Levendale Primary School in Tasmania's south-east.
The school is facing closure with enrolment numbers expected to drop to just eight students next year.
David Bartlett met locals at the school today, and agreed to a reprieve if enrolment numbers are doubled.
"The community have asserted there are more enrolments waiting in the wings and so I've agreed that I will give them an extra term, first term next year, but should they accept that offer then we will need to see those kids in those classrooms up around the 16 to 18 mark to make this school viable going forward," he said.
Parents have vowed to stop the closure of the school.
The Levendale Community Group's spokesman Rick Burch says David Bartlett has allowed uncertainty to continue for eight months.
He says that has frustrated efforts to recruit new families to the area.
"Pretty disappointed that he's left it this late in the school year to tell us that we need to build up our numbers we've already been trying to do that and our hands have been tied one way or another we've got families that want to move here and will not fill out enrolment forms until they know what the answer is with the school," Mr Burch said.
Search for news
ABC News Online takes a look at the big stories from 2008.
