$20 million property acquisition fuels school expansion plans
A north shore private high school will enroll Year 5 and 6 students from 2028 after spending $20 million buying neighboring commercial properties to support expansion plans.
Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College’s decision to offer primary school places at its North Sydney campus appears to have caught Sydney Catholic Schools managing director Danielle Cronin off guard, who said her primary schools offered first-class offerings at a low price.
“At the time of contact… Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College, Sydney Catholic Schools had not been informed of their plans to restart grades 5 and 6 from 2028,” Cronin said.
He also said his schools offer music and gifted programs for “a quarter of the cost of nearby independent schools.”
A church official who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “This surprised everyone.”
Monte principal Nicole Christensen said the decision to expand was in response to increased demand and parents choosing a school earlier in a child’s life.
“Families are making educational decisions earlier than ever, and we are seeing increased demand for students to make a seamless transition from primary to secondary school,” he said.
“Reintroducing grades 5 and 6 allows Monte to meet this need and is deeply aligned with our long-standing commitment to girls’ education.”
The college is a 151-year-old independent Catholic school and charges $33,780. It previously served as a secondary school until the 1970s, but since 1979 it has only served as a high school.
in parts of Sydney Escape of 5th and 6th grade students They graduated from primary school because their parents provided them with a place at a prestigious private school. Private schools often tell parents that they cannot guarantee placement in year 7 unless the child transfers in year 5.
The Diocese of Broken Bay, which operates schools from Sydney’s north shore to the Central Coast, merged several primary schools, including those in Northbridge, last year. and Willoughby.
Enrollment at Catholic schools on the nearby northern beaches has fallen slightly in recent years. The passage of the metro rail line through North Sydney has been a game-changer for local private schools. Records up to the Hills area.
A school spokesman declined to comment on whether it had notified the Catholic Archdiocese or neighboring schools about the school’s expansion, but said it would comply with all NSW Education Standards Authority requirements when it came to changing the school’s registration.
In a letter informing parents of the decision Wednesday morning, the school said the expansion plan was made possible by the purchase of an adjacent property on Miller Street in January, widely reported to have exceeded $20 million.
“We are partnering with Hayball Architects to renovate this building to become a state-of-the-art learning space for our youngest students,” the letter said.
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