The Department of Education and Training advises that, following safety assessments and ongoing recovery efforts, all government schools in Katherine will reopen on Monday 16 March 2026.
Our schools have undergone the relevant safety assessments, rectifications and cleaning and are ready to welcome our students back so they can resume their learning journey.
MacFarlane Primary School, Casuarina Street Primary School and Katherine High School, which have operated as shelters supporting the Katherine community throughout this event, will welcome back their students as of Monday 16 March.
Katherine High School will operate under a hybrid model with the evacuation centre continuing on site. This arrangement allows the school to resume face-to-face learning for Years 7-12 students while also supporting the community through the school's role as an evacuation centre in the gym. Access to some areas will be restricted, with fencing and security on site during the day.
Parents are asked to provide students with lunch for the school day.
Regular school bus services will resume on Monday.
Wellbeing resources are being provided to schools and educators to support students as they return to school.
Families should continue to contact Early Childhood Education and Care services and St Joseph's Catholic College Katherine directly for updates.
Pop‑up schools in Darwin and Palmerston continue to support the learning of young people from evacuated communities, ensuring continuity of education during this challenging period.
Remote schools across the Big Rivers and Top End regions will remain closed for the week beginning Monday 16 March due to continued flood impacts. These schools are:
Nganmarriyanga SchoolWoolianna SchoolWugularr School
Jilkminggan and Mataranka Schools also remain closed and are progressing to reopen as soon as possible. In the meantime, Mataranka School remains an evacuation centre for residents from the Jilkminggan community.
The safety of staff, students, and the broader community remains the department's highest priority. Flood‑affected remote schools will undergo further safety assessments as conditions allow, enabling damage to be identified and rectification works to be prioritised. Schools will reopen as soon as it is safe to do so, restoring supportive and predictable learning environments that help communities recover and reconnect.
The department acknowledges and deeply appreciates the dedication of staff who have worked tirelessly to operate these evacuation centres, assist community members, and return schools to normal operations.
The department sincerely thanks the Katherine community, and all impacted communities for their patience, resilience and cooperation throughout the flood response. We also extend our gratitude to all our staff for their commitment and hard work in supporting students, families and the wider community.
