Consultation is ongoing within the Gruyere community to see the town’s local school up and running again.
The Department of Education held drop-in sessions for the community to attend throughout October with a view to drumming up awareness and understanding community sentiment regarding the future of Gruyere Primary School.
A Department of Education spokesperson said every student has the right to attend their local Victorian government school.
“We are continually planning for and responding to changes in enrolment trends so all students can be accommodated in fit for purpose teaching spaces,” they said.
“The community were informed at the consultation meetings that any families interested in enrolling students for 2026 or 2027 are invited to contact the Department of Education.”
Gruyere Primary School has had no students or staff since the start of 2024 due to a lack of student enrolments, and thus has been non-operational.
In 2025, there are 15 primary school students residing in Gruyere that attend other local government schools, spanning from Badger Creek to Mt Evelyn and Woori Yallock to Wonga Park.
It is unknown how many school-aged children are attending Catholic or other independent schools, or children aged up to four years old living in the area that could add to a future cohort at Gruyere Primary School.
Gruyere resident Andrea Bigham said the meeting was very productive and cleared up a lot of unknowns.
“The Department of Education definitely clarified some issues that were confusing to people and it was good to hear that in the Department of Education’s eyes, they agree Gruyere Primary School is not closed,” she said.
“They are now looking for expressions of interest to get students back hopefully in 2026 or 2027.”
Consultation with the community regarding the school is not done yet, with more to place in the near future.
Ms Bigham said the loss of the Gruyere Primary School has definitely had a ripple effect through the community.
“We don’t have a lot out here and things like schools are definitely what we call central points for rural communities,” she said.
“Having that central point not there anymore has had an effect on community and it’d be nice to see the primary school being used again as a primary school if possible.”
School closures only proceed if requested and recommended by the school council because of no current or expected future enrolments.
The Department of Education has a process to ensure current and future demand for schools is properly planned for and accommodated, including conducting annual reviews of enrolment trends, forecast population demand, and the capacity of local schools.
Due to the number of primary schools in the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges in close proximity to one another, the department constantly monitors enrolments in these areas and supports communities wherever possible.
Ms Bigham said the most important thing is to get the message out there.
“People in the Valley have assumed the Gruyere Primary School is closed but it’s not as black and white as that,” she said.
“The more of us that can spread the message that the Department of Education is looking for expressions of interest for students, the more it will help their chances of Gruyere Primary School being up and running for what it’s been built for, and that’s to educate our young community.
“The old motto when the small schools in the Valley were open was ‘Small schools are great schools’ and I still believe in that.”
A minimum of 11 new enrolments from the Gruyere catchment area would be required for the school to reopen. If the school fails to receive any interest, or if it doesn’t reach the required amount of enrolments, then it would officially close and the department will manage the site’s disposal. Assets and memorabilia of local historical interest from the school would be handed over.
In July 2025 Gruyere Primary School received $52,000 as part of the Victorian Government’s Planned Maintenance Program (PMP) for essential maintenance works. Three buildings at the school were identified as needing essential maintenance work to ensure they’re kept weatherproof and secure.
