by Bonnie Collings
After years of community campaigning to save Neerim District Rural Primary School, 15 students walked through the gates last week for the 2025 school year.
The school has been de-staffed and non-operational since late 2019 due to low enrolments. After five years of community campaigning, Minister for Education Ben Carroll announced last August that the school would re-open.
Following essential maintenance, repairs and installation of a new playground, the school welcomed students for their first day back last Wednesday.
Principal Lisa Williamson said the first few days had been "great" and commended the people involved in the school's re-staffing.

"The best part of the re-staffing has been the people," she said. "The