THINK POSITIVE: Orange Anglican Grammar School principal Leonard Elliot. Photo STEVE GOSCH 0211sganglican1
ANGLICAN diocese of Bathurst leaders support the sale of the Orange Anglican Grammar School and the Macquarie Anglican Grammar School but say it’s too early to comment on the impact sales will have on the church’s financial future.
The archdeacon of the Anglican diocese of Bathurst Frank Hetherington said it would be speculation for him to comment on the sales before they happened.
“It’s a positive step for the schools and will help secure them for the future,” he said.
The bishop of Bathurst Ian Palmer said he too was happy with the decision to sell the schools.
“It’s in the best interests of the school, the students, staff and parents ... their interests are paramount,” he said.
“The church is far more interested in the future of the schools [than anything else], it’s our key concern.”
Bishop Palmer said it was difficult to assess the value of the assets as that would depend on the market.
“It’s one step at a time, then we can move on to other things.”
Parents at the school were told via a message on the schools’ websites that despite an initial strategy to sell off other church assets there were “legal impediments that have prohibited the sale of church assets”.
“The schools are the diocese’s greatest assets but they also bear the lion’s share of its debt as well.”
tracey.prisk@fairfaxmedia.com.au