The decision will disrupt the lives of students and force families to deliberate over the choice of a new educational institution for their children.

For prep students, settling into a new school life twice in two years will undoubtedly be a challenge.

Students in Year 6 could also be forced to change schools twice in two years as they move from Year 7 to high school.

The closure will also disrupt friendship groups, social networks and the relationships students have established with the staff and teachers at the school.

While a spokesman has said it would be unreasonable to place the financial burden of the school’s future on parent’s shoulders, this does not make the decision any sweeter.

Why had parents not heard of the school’s troubles before now?

As one parent stated, families would have done a lot more than selling sausages and cans of Coke if it new of the school’s woes.

Why had the school not turned to the community for support?

Beyond the current families of the school, there would surely be businesses, former students and families of students-to-be that would be willing to do what they could to keep the school open, given the opportunity.

The community has rescued the school from the red once before, why not trust them to do it again?

In 2002 the community rallied to raise more than $90,000 in just one week to keep the school opened.

It is a sad state that amid the visions of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s “Education Revolution” and Premier Anna Bligh’s “Towards Q2” announced yesterday that a school doesn’t feel it can turn to the Government for support.

State Member for Mount Isa Betty Kiernan said the school had never contacted her regarding their financial of funding problems.

As the school stated, there is more to the problem than staffing and student numbers.

But when parents do not have answers, it can be a hard message to swallow.

Let’s hope last night’s parent information evening was able to answer some of the questions.