The following is a press release issued by the Save Our Schools – No Transition Group in Shepparton, Victoria. It shows that the Shepparton schools merger plan was not formally agreed by all four school councils as required by the School Merger Guidelines.
We have evidence that the Shepparton Education Plan was not formally agreed to by all four school councils as required by School Merger Guidelines, prior to the announcement on 19 April, 2018, by Education Minister, James Merlino, that it would proceed.
Despite a requirement that the motion to accept the model proposed by the Strategic Advisory Committee be passed at a properly constituted meeting with a quorum, it appears that the motion was not passed in accordance with School Merger Guidelines and School Council Governance.
An FOI request written in September, 2019 requesting written advice to the Minister as required by School Merger Guidelines that all four councils had voted on the plan at a meet ing with a quorum has been completed and together with existing evidence appears to confirm that two of the four schools did not pass the motion to accept the recommendation of the Strategic Advisory Committee of one school on one site, based on the schools within a school model, before the announcement in April 2018. It was not voted on until months later when it was finally carried.
Community information is that three of the four schools did not pass the motion prior to the announcement and it was never voted on by one and later ratified by two.
In fairness to all concerned parties, this plan needs to be halted until this issue has been investigated and satisfactorily addressed with adequate consultation with the families of Greater Shepparton as requested at a public meeting in August, 2019.