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	Catholic Church Denies Cash-In Claims By Jane Metlikovec Herald Sun March 15, 2008 http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23376483-2862,00.html THE Catholic church could reap tens of millions of dollars by selling eight Melbourne schools it has recently closed or is closing. Parents with children at St John the Evangelist Primary School in East Melbourne and St Brigid's Primary School in North Fitzroy have been told this month that both schools will close. Inner-city real estate agents said St John the Evangelist and St Brigid's -- which has uninterrupted views of the city -- would together be worth more than $20 million. St Brigid's will amalgamate with St John's Primary in Clifton Hill, and St John the Evangelist will merge with Trinity Primary in North Richmond, where St Ignatius Primary students were sent when the Richmond school closed in 2005. Parishioners of St Ambrose Primary in Brunswick have been told the school will close at the end of next year, but the Catholic Education Office said there had been no official word on its future. Another possible merger is flagged between Sacred Heart in Fitzroy and St Joseph's in Collingwood. The Catholic Education Office said parishes were not closing the schools to cash in on the land. It said the closed schools were still owned by their respective parishes, or had been transformed into campuses for other schools. Director of Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Melbourne, Stephen Elder, denied rumours that St John the Evangelist was to be turned into luxury apartments. "The property will not be sold, but will be used for educational purposes," Mr Elder said. "The land is not owned by the Catholic Education Office Melbourne but belongs to the East Melbourne parish." Mr Elder said the decision to close St Brigid's was a strategic move. "Catholic education in inner Melbourne will benefit in the long run, and I would like to sincerely thank the parish priests, principals and school communities for their co-operation, understanding and hard work." Dozens of angry parents contacted the Herald Sun this week, suspicious over the growing number of inner-suburban closures. Parents at St Brigid's, which has 100 students, were told on Wednesday of their school's demise. Parents said they were not consulted about the closure. St Brigid's and St John the Evangelist are largely attended by children who live in nearby commission housing. Many of their parents do not speak English and will find it difficult to transport their children to the other schools. A number of St Brigid's parents said they would not be sending their children to St John's in Clifton Hill. Robert Enes, who has a son in year 2 and a daughter in prep at St Brigid's, said he was outraged by the church's actions. Mr Enes said four possible inner-suburban school closures could not be a coincidence. "These schools are all on prestigious sites. They are all very valuable in terms of real estate," he said. "Is this the church wanting to cash in?. "They say they are closing St Brigid's because they were unable to project an enrolment increase for the next few years. "The school has increased enrolments every year for the past three years."
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