THE Education Department's draft out-of-home area guidelines have been tightened and only some school boundaries changed - but a number of students would be heading to high schools not where they expected in the future.
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CLICK THE SCHOOL TO SEE THE NEW BOUNDARY LISTS
School Information: Scottsdale High
School Information: St Helens District High
School Information: Riverside High
School Information: Queechy High
School Information: Prospect High
School Information: Port Dalrymple
School Information: St Marys District
School Information: Winnaleah District High
School Information: Lilydale High
School Information: Kings Meadows High
School Information: Flinders Island District
School Information: Exeter High
School Information: Deloraine High
School Information: Cressy District High
School Information: Campbell Town District
School Information: Brooks High
The guidelines and maps for all school areas in the state were released late yesterday afternoon.
Parents of students who want to go out of area would now be required to seek permission from their local principal and would also lose any right to claim a transport subsidy.
Some government primary schools, which have traditionally been feeders for particular high schools, may see changes in the guidelines.
Proposed changes include:
West Launceston Primary School pupils would now be expected to attend Prospect High School (not Riverside).
Longford students would go to Cressy District (not Kings Meadows).
Those from Ravenswood, who once attended Brooks, would head to Queechy.
Education Minister Nick McKim said the submissions on the draft guidelines would be open until August 30, with any changes to come into force from January 1, 2015.
Tasmanian State School Parents and Friends president Jenny Eddington said the move could create more angst among parents than any boundary changes.
She said a number of parents may get a bit of a surprise with the shake-up of feeder schools such as West Launceston or Punchbowl, but she encouraged people to put in a submission.
The changes could mean some smaller high schools struggling for enrolments would get a boost and others near capacity some breathing space.
This would see pupils from West Launceston Primary School boost the enrolments at Prospect High which, according to the latest department figures, has an estimated capacity for 832 students and just 57 per cent occupancy.
Opposition education spokesman Michael Ferguson said the change of feeder schools would be a concern to parents.
``In regards to West Launceston, a lot of parents would have thought their kids would go to Riverside,'' Mr Ferguson said.
``This will break long time links with those primary schools that have fed into particular high schools over many years.''
Mr Ferguson said the Liberal Party supported parental choice when it came to schools.
Australian Education Union state president Terry Polglase said the proposed changes to feeder schools raised many more questions about what the department was thinking for the future of some of the schools.
Mr McKim said the consultation period provided an important opportunity for the community, who know their schools the best, to comment.
``While parents and carers are always encouraged to send their children to the local school, these procedures in no way prevent parents from applying to schools elsewhere,'' Mr McKim said.
