The school has cited dwindling enrolments and staffing difficulties as the reason for the closure.

The decision has angered families who say they were not consulted about the issue.

Mount Isa Christian College board chairman Robert Commandeur said in a letter to parents on September 2 the decision to close the school had not been made lightly.

“It has taken a number of months to come to this conclusion after much prayer, consideration and consultation with leaders within Queensland who have been involved with our school for a number of years,” he said.

The school has about 70 students from prep to Year 7.

Parent Brian Shehab-Ash said he was angry the school did not seek parents help to save the college.

“If the school had told us they were having problems we could have been working towards getting more students or teachers of whatever they needed – not just selling sausages and cans of coke,” Mr Shehab-Ash said.

“I’ve been involved in fundraising for the school over the past four months and not once were the problems they were facing ever raised.”

Mr Shehab-Ash said he believed his son’s education would suffer as a result of the announced closure.

“My boy is in Year 6,” he said.

“I’ll have to find a school for him to go to next year and then he’ll go to high school, so he’ll be changing schools twice in two years. We’re trying to attract families to the area and now we’re a school down. The school should not go down without a fight.”

Parent Sharnia Altoft said her children had thrived at the school.

“I will take my children back to Hervey Bay now because it’s closing,” she said.

“There’s nothing keeping us in Mount Isa now.”

A spokesperson for MICC said informing the parents before the decision was made could not have altered the outcome.

“The problem facing Mount Isa Christian College is more than staffing and student numbers,” the spokesperson said.

“Even with assistance the school has continued to struggle financially. With this in mind, it would be unfair and unreasonable to place such a financial burden as this upon the school parents.”

State Member for Mount Isa Betty Kiernan said she had been contacted by concerned parents but not heard from the school.