Parents rally to save Brisbane schools Parents protest the possible closure of Fortitude Valley State School. As the sign at Fortitude Valley State School proudly stated it was taking enrolments for 2014, a group of parents were outside fighting to make that pronouncement a reality. In what Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek described as ""union-led hysterics"" linked to the upcoming federal election, a group of about 100 parents and pupils chanted and waved signs at traffic on Saturday morning in a bid to save their school from closure. Fortitude Valley State School P&C president Tony Holcroft said although the school had just 52 pupils, it was in the middle of a high-growth area. Fortitude Valley P&C president Tony Holcroft says the school is small, but in a fast-growing area. ""At the moment there's urban sprawl happening here. We've got high-density residential buildings going up left, right and centre and it'd be a shame to close the school at a time like this when our numbers are actually increasing,"" he said. Mr Holcroft said despite the small physical footprint of the school, there was still room to expand. ""It has to stay open. There's no real reason to close it except for the value of the land,"" he said. Parents Sue Ellis and Lauren Millard at Everton Park State High School, which faces possible closure. Along with Fortitude Valley, Everton Park State High, Nyanda State High, Old Yarranlea State School, Wyreema State School, Stuart State School, Charlton State School and Toowoomba South State School have been earmarked for possible closure, while Coorparoo Secondary College is set to merge with Brisbane State High. Mr Langbroek a decision on school closures would be made by the end of July, to give people ""a clear six months before people have to plan for 2014"." ""The important thing to remember is that we started a consultation process that's supposed to be about a calm and mature conversation,"" Mr Langbroek said. Enrol now? Fortitude Valley State School might already have its final school cohort. ""The consultation only started last Friday, the 10th of May, and here we have people with union-inspired protests involving small children. ""I don't think that's appropriate and it's not going to do the most for the well-being of those children and I think that's very disappointing."" Mr Holcroft said the protest was organised by parents at the school, although Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk's office had offered some assistance by way of alerting media to the event. He said the only union involvement the Together Union's donation of some placards, which ""we kept in the background anyway"." ""We want this to be non-political,"" Mr Holcroft said. Ms Palaszczuk said she would be raising the issue next week in Parliament. "" (Fortitude Valley) is in a prime growth area. There are buildings going up and families in the future will want to send their kids to this school,"" she said. ""The Newman government's prime concern here is real estate. Their prime concern should really be the students and this community."" Mr Langbroek said he would welcome ""sensible"" questions in Parliament and accused Ms Palaszczuk of hypocrisy. ""We know that she allowed two schools in her own electorate to be closed and while she was sitting around the cabinet table, Labor closed 89 schools,"" he said. ""This is something that has happened under previous governments - all governments should be looking at things like maintaining their assets and making sure they're all up to date and modern."" Away from the cameras, Everton Park State High School parents were involved in a similar - albeit smaller - road-side protest in north-west Brisbane. Canteen committee volunteer Sue Ellis, who has two children at the school, said EPSHS served an important role in the community. ""We want to save our school. It's the best school for kids that aren't sporty or really academic"" she said. Parent Lauren Millard, whose twins are in Year 8, said she her family would be left ""scratching our heads about where to go"" should the school be closed. ""Every teacher knows every child by name - even the good kids,"" she said. ""That's unusual and you can't replace something like that. (Moving to another school) would be an emotional upheaval for them.""