RELATED: Recognising history

RELATED: Drummartin School closes

A NOW vacant former Golden Square Primary School site is up for sale.

The State Government has announced the closure of 10 school sites across Victoria, including the Laurel Street site.

The school has been empty since earlier this year, when staff and students relocated to a new $10.6 million government-funded school in Maple Street.

It ended a 140-year association at Laurel Street.

Classes at the new site began operating in June this year.

It followed a merger in 2009 between Maple Street Primary School and Golden Square Primary School and an agreement for a new school would be built on the Maple Street site. 

Staff and students from both campuses eventually merged in 2012.

Students this year marked the opening of the Maple Street campus by joining with parents and staff for a walk from the old to new site.

To mark the historic occasion, students, staff and parents walked from the former campus in Laurel Street to the new facility before hosting an assembly.  

The Andrews government has defended its decision to sell the 10 schools.

It said it was addressing this "unprecedented growth" by investing $730 million in building, upgrading and acquiring land for schools.

Twenty-three new state schools will open in coming years.

The list of schools for sale includes the Drummartin Primary School, west of Elmore.

The humble school closed its doors for the last time in September this year.

Its enrolment had dwindled to just six pupils (down from 13 in 2011 and 11 in 2013), with low numbers projected for the future. 

The school council’s decision was not taken lightly, according to former principal Adam Torney. He said the closure was “very tough”, but was done in the best interests of the students.

Mr Torney earlier said the decision was made with the full understanding of the broader implications for the community. 

A former campus of Kyabram P-12 College is also earmarked for sale.

- with The Age