She said when she had queried funding to build better facilities at Como previously, she had been told allocation was based on how big the demand for the school was.

She questioned how demand could grow when there was no funding to improve the school.

“It’s translating into limited subject offerings, and ... that limits opportunities for our kids to go into universities,” she said.

“One-third of our kids are going to public schools outside our catchment. We expect that is much higher than in other areas.

“We’ve also heard about people renting houses in catchment areas outside ours, to be able to go to public schools that have received bigger injections of funding and therefore seem more attractive.”

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Birch said future demand also needed to be considered, with four to six-storey apartments near the school “popping up at a pretty fast rate.”

Sheryl Mera has two young children, aged one and three, but is already looking into high school options.

“We live three minutes away from Como, and it hasn’t even crossed our mind to send our kids there,” she said.

“[Willetton and Applecross] are just getting bigger, and are getting more funding, whereas at Como, they don’t even have Wi-Fi connectivity in the school.”

Mera said she was not criticising the teaching or the school community, and said many parents were happy with those aspects of the school.

She said she loved the area and their house, but would consider selling it to move if things did not change – a decision she says parents should not have to make.

Former Como Secondary College principal Ross Sweeney suggested the school should consider merging with Kent Street Senior High School, to get the numbers up and attract more funding.

“You’ve got to make at least 250 kids per cohort, that’s a school size of about 1500, to give it a fresh start,” he said.

“You cannot expect the government to come forward with major funding for a boutique little government school hidden away among the pine trees in Como. That’s not going to happen.”

Currently, there are just 808 students enrolled.

After a community meeting held on Wednesday a committee, including Mera and Birch, was formed to advocate for the school.

Liberal leader Libby Mettam, who also attended the meeting, said change was needed.

“We are the wealthiest state in the country, yet we have students sitting in classrooms with buckets to catch water because the roof leaks when it rains,” she said.

Buti said since 2017 the state government had invested $4.57 million at Como to enhance STEM facilities, a new cafeteria and maintenance upgrades, including classrooms.

“The STEM project at the college is underway with $600,000 allocated this year to repurpose an existing classroom. The project is currently in the design stage,” he said.

“The college’s car park project was funded by a $300,000 state government commitment with works completed last year.”