Emmaus Christian College plans to open new campus on former Salesian College site at Brooklyn Park
A CHRISTIAN school plans to open a new campus on the former Salesian College site, aiming to fill a gap for protestant schooling in the western suburbs.
A CHRISTIAN school plans to open a new campus on the former Salesian College site, aiming to fill a gap for Protestant schooling in the western suburbs.
Emmaus Christian College is at “contract stage” to buy the Brooklyn Park site from the Uniting Church, subject to the college receiving government approvals to launch the second campus.
The non-denominational school is bursting at the seams at its South Plympton base, with its largest ever enrolment of 740 students from Reception to Year 12 this year, and waiting lists for many year levels.
Principal Andrew Linke said the plan was to open an early learning centre at Brooklyn Park next year, followed by a primary school in 2019 that could “slowly grow over time” to cater for as many as 400 students.
Mr Linke said staff were overwhelmed when they were bussed to the new site yesterday for the announcement.
“They were crying with excitement. It was really quite an emotional experience,” he said.
“There’s ample buildings to be revamped and renovated.”
Mr Linke said there were “no other schools of our type in the area” so the proposed campus would “provide choice for families”.
Under the plan, Emmaus would buy the northern part of the site occupied by tertiary theological colleges, which would move to the southern end next to the Adelaide West Uniting Church.
Salesian College opened as a Catholic boys school in 1954, went co-ed in 1978 and closed in 1996 after enrolments halved to the low 300s.
Emmaus science and health teacher Heather Edwards, whose children Austin, 9, and Savannah, 7, attend the school, said the expansion into a new community was “really exciting”.
Emmaus will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2019.