Hearing the news in January left 19-year-old Tamika, who asked to go by her first name only, unable to sleep.

“I was beside myself, because it’s a second family to me and many other students,” she said.

“It if weren’t for Highwater, I would have not even reached year 10, I would have stopped then and there.”

Highwater continued despite the uncertainty, with proceeds from sales of a book of artwork covering students’ food for term one.

Junction Support Services in Wodonga has now confirmed it will join Wodonga Senior Secondary and Middle Years colleges in funding the school, allowing Tamika to finish her studies.

“I used to get bullied at my old school, and I was told about Highwater by one of my counsellors,” she said.

“I decided instead of not doing any education whatsoever, I’d come here.

“I’m working towards finishing my year 12 and hopefully getting into a university degree, an equine course.

“In a boxing ring, you have the person in the corner saying ‘Come on, you can do it’ – that’s what Highwater was for me.”

Between 2010 and 2013, 90 per cent of Highwater’s students had experienced homelessness and domestic violence.

The school, operating out of Gateway Village, aims to re-engage young people in mainstream schooling, study or employment.

It is a goal synonymous with Junction, said chief executive Corienne Krich.

“The initial contact (about funding the school) came from Vern Hilditch,” she said.

“It was coincidental about the same time, we were successful in gaining funding to run the navigator pilot program, a great initiative through the Victorian Education Department to support young people who have been disengaged from school.

“There’s about 20 per cent of kids between the ages of 15 and 19 in Wodonga who are disengaged.

“It made sense for us to consider Highwater as another option to assist kids back into a system, whether it’s education or employment.”

Junction’s involvement will be for 12 months initially.

Mr Hilditch, principal of Wodonga Senior Secondary and Middle Years colleges, said a name change would be in the future as the theatre involved withdrew to a large extent.

“We were looking very seriously at whether it would continue, because Somebody’s Daughter who were the group running the theatre side of it were also relocating activities in Geelong,” he said. “I was delighted when Junction came on board.”