That’s the sentiment of the Conargo community, as the NSW Department of Education considers placing Conargo Public School into recess due to low enrolment numbers.
Long-time Conargo resident Colin Bull said the school once thrived.
“Our three children all attended Conargo School in the early ’90s,” he said.
“At that stage there were over 30 children, with two teachers. All were Conargo locals, with a very active P&C.
“There was also a small schools’ cricket team that competed in Deniliquin.
“It was a wonderful school.”
Mr Bull said the current situation is “very sad”, adding that “people move on, and there are not the same number of people on the stations as there once was.”
A NSW Department of Education spokesperson said the consultation process is an opportunity for the community to share feedback and ask questions, ensuring the department is responding to local priorities and the educational needs of students.
The spokesperson said a sustained decline in enrolments can lead to consultation regarding a school’s future educational provision, and that access to curriculum offerings is central to decision-making.
Any school placed into recess is reviewed every two years.
In a letter circulated by Member for Murray Helen Dalton, the Department confirmed the formal consultation is underway.
Mrs Dalton’s office encouraged families with pre-school aged children or future students to contact either the school or her Deniliquin and Griffith offices to register interest in enrolment.
Conargo Public School P&C president and past parent Karen Griffiths said the community is determined to fight for the school’s future.
“We have been receiving low enrolment numbers, but it’s happened before,” she said.
“We have very fluctuating enrolments, you may have a down period, but then people return to Conargo after being away and choose to settle down.”
She noted major changes locally, with big stations changing hands and new families moving into the district, including one from Western Australia. Mrs Griffiths said that if
the school was placed into recess, it would require a significant increase in K–2 enrolments to come out of recess, a step the community hopes to avoid.
Conargo Public School’s enrolments show a long decline from more than 30 students in the mid-2000s to single-digit numbers from 2018 onward, stabilising around 10-11 in recent years.
However, enrolments dipped from nine in 2025 to five in 2026, prompting the current consultation.
Edward River Council Mayor Ash Hall said the situation reflects broader challenges facing small rural communities.
“It’s unfortunate, but it is a sign of the times when it comes to our smaller rural communities,” he said.
He cited water security and lower cropping numbers as contributing factors.
“A lot of the bigger farms aren’t employing as many workers, so fewer families are moving to the area. It’s unfortunate, but at least it’s not being planned for full closure.”
Community members have written to former Conargo jackaroo and Member for Farrer David Farley, who they say “would know of their situation”, and remain hopeful that incoming families will help rebuild numbers.
“We’ll fight, other small schools have gone through this and made it out,” Mrs Griffiths said.
The mobile daycare, which can cater for up to 15 children, may also be impacted should the school close.
If Conargo Public School closes, students will be zoned to Deniliquin North School, while families living on properties north of Conargo will be zoned to Coleambally, a significant distance from the town.
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