Miriam High Special Needs Centre
31 July 2019
MIRIAM HIGH SPECIAL NEEDS CENTRE
Following many months of careful deliberation and consultation with families and staff, Council has made the difficult decision to set a date for the closure of Miriam High Special Needs Centre.
Initial reactions to the pending closure of Miriam High are understandable and the care for the wellbeing of the children, families and staff has been at the forefront of Council’s thoughts.
The reality is, that changes to the provision of services and funding arising from the NDIS has resulted in a dramatic reduction in the number of families using the Miriam High Centre, making its ongoing operation unviable. With only two children at the Centre receiving NDIS funding and escalating costs to the community, the situation required action and ultimately an unpalatable and difficult decision.
Two separate calls for Expressions of Interest didn’t result in viable propositions.
Council has been working with families and other service providers for a substantial time to identify transition options for families and is committed to working with a small number of current families to transition to other services in the coming weeks. Over half of the children (5 of the current 9) currently attending the Centre will commence transitioning to school in Term 4 of 2019 and would be leaving the Centre in 2020.
Council acknowledges the contribution of Mrs Miram High to the establishment of the program and the wonderful staff who have provided a dedicated service to many families other the 36 years of operation.
Council also thanks the many community members who have fundraised or donated money towards the operation of the Centre including the Taylor Family and Aaron Morgan.
Yours faithfully
JOHN BANKS
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
View the official copy of this letter: Letter regarding status of Miriam High Special Needs Centre
(118 kb)
Timeline and Information
Miriam High Special Needs Centre – Snapshot(579 kb)
