Media
The Most Rev. Brian G. Mascord DD, Bishop of Wollongong, today announced the decision to bring together two Catholic primary schools in the Southern Highlands into a single, new Catholic educational community. St Michael’s Catholic Parish Primary School in Mittagong and St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish Primary School in Bowral will amalgamate to form Corpus Christi Catholic Parish Primary School, Mittagong-Bowral, which will officially open in Term 1, 2029.
This decision to bring together the two schools was based on the particular context of the Mittagong-Bowral parish, giving consideration to the diverse needs of people in the parish. This decision follows extensive discernment and takes into account a range of data and information sources.
The amalgamation will create new possibilities for current and future generations of Mittagong-Bowral students. By bringing together these two smaller schools into a single, two-stream parish primary school located on the current St Thomas Aquinas campus in Bowral, students will have opportunities to form new connections and learning opportunities, while staff can engage in a collaborative planning and resource-sharing model aligned to the new unified school.
Primarily, the change will allow the parish to explore options to meet broader parish and community needs, while still offering a high quality Catholic education to school-age families at the new combined parish Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School.
"This decision was carefully considered and is intended to ensure Catholic education remains spiritually vibrant and strong now and for decades to come," Bishop Mascord stated. "This is not a case of erasing the history of the two existing schools; we are building upon their incredible legacies to create a refreshed, modern Catholic school that represents the entire Corpus Christi parish region."
To ensure a seamless and supportive transition, a two-year preparation period spanning 2027 and 2028 has been established. This extended timeframe will allow staff, students, and families from both schools to participate in co-creating the new school’s culture, identity, traditions, and charism. At both schools, enrolments of all current students, as well as 2027 Kindergarten students, is guaranteed during the transition period.
While no final decisions have been made regarding the future of the St Michael's site in Mittagong beyond 2029, this transition provides an opportunity for the parish to explore new options to serve unmet community needs within the broader Southern Highlands region, such as those identified in various regional reports and plans.
