Cade Lucas
It’s been a tough start to the school year for Mambourin teenager Oliver McMahon.
After he and his mother were forced to suddenly move house during the summer holidays, the year 10 student at Hoppers Crossing’s Warringa Park Specialist School, now finds himself outside the school’s bus zone.
With no other option available, Oliver, who suffers from developmental and learning disorders, has been forced to walk 5km return to the nearest bus stop in Manor Lakes.
His mother, Jasmine Portelli said it’s a situation that has already caused Oliver distress.
“He’s very anxiety ridden, he’s very sensitive,” she said of the affect the 40 minute walks to and from the bus stop have had.
“It’s been very difficult because it’s not something he ever had to do.”
Previously the 15 year old only had to walk 200 meters up to the corner of his street to catch the bus to Warringa Park where he’s been a student for the past two years.
Ms Portelli said it wasn’t just the extra distance of the walk that was problematic.
“I’ve got an intervention order due to domestic violence against his dad and that’s listed on the kids as well, so he’s fearful that when he’s walking to and from the bus stop, something’s gonna happen.”
Despite repeated appeals for assistance, Ms Portelli said Warringa Park had refused to help, arguing Mambourin was outside its school bus zone, a stance she suspects is designed to force Oliver to move to a new specialist school in Manor Lakes.
Warringa Park declined to comment when contacted by Star Weekly.
It’s understood that discussions between Ms Portelli and the Education Department have been ongoing and that a solution providing Oliver with easier access to Warringa Park is close to being brokered.
A statement from the department confirming this wasn’t received before deadline.
Jasmine Portelli said Oliver had already changed schools seven times and that moving again, even to the much closer Manor Lakes Specialist College, wasn’t an option.
“He wouldn’t want to go because he’s settled into this school,” she said.
“He’s doing so well. He’s the SRC captain at the Cayleys Road campus at Warringa Park. If I pull him out he’s gonna have to redo everything again.”
