FRAYNE College's decision to dump year seven and eight classes from next year has provided the catalyst for the Baranduda-based Catholic school to change names.
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It will be known as St Francis of Assisi Primary School from January 1 and become the third Catholic primary school in Wodonga alongside St Augustine's and St Monica's.
The scrapping of year seven and eight classes also no longer qualified the school to be known as a college.
It also played a part in the decision to switch to St Francis of Assisi.
Wodonga parish priest Dennis Crameri said the Frayne College community, Catholic Education Wodonga, Catholic Education Sandhurst and Bishop Les Tomlinson were involved in the name change consultation.
"St Francis of Assisi Primary School Wodonga was chosen for several reasons including the inspiring story of the life of St Francis and the link to our current Pope," Father Crameri said.
"His story fits nicely with the ethos and the aspirations of the school and we felt with a new start if you like, it was an appropriate time to look at that (naming) aspect.
"The emphasis of the school is very much the environment and we will retain that.
"St Francis is a good fit."
Frayne College opened a decade ago and originally educated students up to year nine.
Year seven and eight students at Frayne will switch to Catholic College with declining enrolments playing a major part in the decision to make it a primary school.
The school was named after the founder of the Sisters of Mercy in Australia, Mother Ursula Frayne.
She will be recognised in some way at the school following the name switch with Father Crameri declaring a school's identity was important.
"We find with our other schools, St Monica's and St Augustine's, you can tell the story, there is something to celebrate and something to hinge it all on," he said.
"It's an added incentive, but Frayne won't be lost."
CEW has bought nearby land to build another school.
