Colmont School’s board were investigating alternative sites more than 12 months before it publicly announced its intention to move the school from its White Street premises.
The Kilmore International School announced in April 2022 it would change its name to Colmont School to avoid having to pay a naming licence fee, and it would look for an alternative site to avoid paying rent to the owners of the buildings and land.
The board were looking at land in Kilmore and Wallan to build a new school – the Wallan land is owned by Wally Mott, a board member at the school until April 2021.
Mr Mott, also owner of the Review and property developers Crystal Group, stood down from the board to avoid a conflict of interest.
Crystal Group is developing land south of Wallan, named St Hilaire – an estate that will be home to more than 6000 residential lots.
The board registered alternative business names with the Australian Business Register in April 2021, including Hilaire International Grammar School and Mitchell International Grammar, in preparation for an impending move.
Ultimately the school board decided on the Colmont School Limited business name, and were yet to confirm a new site when the school went into administration.
Four other board members also resigned from the board since 2020.
The Age reported on Saturday that a whistleblower from The Kilmore International School had reported to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, ASIC, two years ago warning the school was at risk of financial collapse, and that high fees were being paid to companies controlled by the school’s founder Ray Wittmer. ASIC did not investigate.
Also in The Age’s article titled ‘Sucked dry: How a private school fell into financial ruin’ states it was not the first time the school’s commercial structure, with the state’s school regulator, the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority, reviewing what was paid to Mr Wittmer in 2012.
The article also states a former business manager at the school raised concerns about the school’s contractual history with Mr Wittmer and reported to the board prior to the pandemic that the school was facing significant financial losses if it didn’t remove itself from the contracts and leases.
