Brisbane State High School merger plan scrapped as others wait to hear fate; more schools could face axe in coming years

UPDATE: EIGHT Queensland communities waiting to hear if their local school will close will not be the last to go through the process, the State Government says.

EIGHT Queensland communities waiting to hear if their local school will close will not be the last to go through the process.

Fortitude Valley State School, Old Yarranlea State School, Toowoomba South State School, Stuart State School, Wyreema State School, Nyanda State High School, Charlton State School and Everton Park State High School are being considered for sale, with community consultation closing on July 26.

Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek told a press conference this morning that it was likely others could be considered for closure next year and in coming years.

"Yes we'll be looking at school closures every year potentially because we have to look at our asset portfolio," Mr Langbroek said.

"Just as previous governments have done. Every year we have to look at or asset footprint and we've got to make sure we justify our expenditure which is nearly a quarter of the state budget.

``We've have to look at our asset portfolio every year when it comes to land and when it comes to schools themselves which sometimes are closing almost because they don't have any enrolments at all."

It comes after The Courier-Mail revealed today that Mr Langbroek had decided to scrap the planned merger of Coorparoo State College and Brisbane State HIgh School after a consultation report found there was significant opposition and potential problems with the merger's efficiency among other issues.

The Newman Government also moved to save playing fields at three other schools.

Protesters are hoping the Government will decide against selling the eight schools on the chopping block as well.

Mr Langbroek said a decision would be made in August but he believed it was likely some of those schools would have to close.

EARLIER it was reported controversial plans to amalgamate two Brisbane high schools and sell off the ovals of three others have been shelved by the Newman Government.

Instead, Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek will today announce $40 million will be spent upgrading the Brisbane State High School, which the Government had planned to merge with Coorparoo State College to create a multi-campus facility.

Mr Langbroek will blame ``significant opposition'' to the plan.

A government consultation report into the plan which was supposed to ``future-proof'' State High attracted 650 submissions.

It concluded the plan had caused anxiety for both school communities with only a small show of support.

``Each school community is apprehensive that the projected combined enrolments for an amalgamated school will require significant infrastructure, particularly at CSC as its current capacity is approximately equal to only one year level of an amalgamated student population,'' the report found.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been involved in the community-led protests over the proposed merger of the two schools, which are in his inner-South Brisbane electorate of Griffith.

Mr Rudd has also joined protests over the Newman Government's proposals to sell off school ovals in his electorate Balmoral State High School and Whites Hill State College.

They will no longer be sold off and nor will a third oval at Earnshaw State College on Brisbane's northside.

Mr Rudd was set to join a major rally in Brisbane on Sunday against the plans.

Organisers had predicted thousands would attend.

Premier Campbell Newman last night said the Prime Minister had not made any representation to him about any of the issues despite his involvement in community protests.

``Kevin Rudd has not made a single representation to me to save the (Balmoral) school from development and appears much more concerned about running politically motivated scare campaigns,'' Mr Newman said.

A decision is yet to be made on the proposed sale of Fortitude Valley State School, Old Yarranlea State School, Toowoomba South State School, Stuart State School, Wyreema State School, Nyanda State High School, Charlton State School and Everton Park State High School, with community consultation closing on July 26.

Mr Langbroek told The Courier-Mail he had decided the planned merger between BSHS and CSC could not go ahead after community consultation found it was not supported by both the communities affected.

``Whether it's between businesses or between schools, a merger cannot succeed without two willing parties,'' Mr Langbroek said.