The land is to be sold for use as a childcare centre. The government plans to sell it to the Manuka childcare centre, so the centre site, in turn, can be used by the Canberra Services Club. The school has been offered $800,000 for replacement sports facilities.

Fighting to have the decision reversed, Parents and Citizens Association president Paul Haesler wrote to Legislative Assembly members, including Chief Minister Andrew Barr, this week.

Mr Barr's response gave Mr Haesler hope that the government would consider another site for the childcare centre.

In his letter to Mr Haesler, Mr Barr wrote: "If the P&C wish to put forward an alternate location in the Manuka area for new childcare facilities, then the government will consider such a proposal."

However, Mr Barr later effectively dismissed the possibility.

"Of course, if any member of the community, including the Telopea Park P&C, put forward an alternative site for a 100-place early childcare centre that delivers a better outcome for the community as a whole, the government will consider it," he told The Canberra Times.

"However, no such site exists in the government's portfolio, nor has a private site been put forward. As such, the government will proceed with the current arrangement."

In his letter to Mr Haesler, Mr Barr said he "fully appreciated" that some people were unhappy about a new childcare centre on "a small portion of land adjacent to the school".

"Change is always difficult. I understand this," he wrote.

However, Mr Haesler is taking Mr Barr's offer to consider alternative sites at face value, describing it as "quite a concession".

The association was looking at several sites in the areas, including a former childcare centre in Red Hill, and other community facilities, he said.

"As far as we're concerned, it's not a done deal until the bulldozers move in," he said. "The transfer and subdivision were both done with a stroke of the pen and they can be reversed just as easily."

The government transferred the block from the Education Department to the Land Development Agency without telling the school board or community, although it said it told principal Kerrie Blain.

Mr Haesler said Ms Blain was instructed not to tell the school about the plan.

It remained unclear why the school wasn't consulted.

Land Development Agency deputy head Dan Stewart said the government "regrets there was no wider conversation with the school community before this announcement".

He didn't explain whether the failure to consult was an oversight or intentional.

However, Mr Haesler said it looked like "a really conscious, deliberate effort to lock us out of the conversation until they perceived it was too late".

Mr Haesler has called a meeting for Wednesday, May 13, where parents, residents and others will be able to question Mr Stewart about the decision.

Mr Stewart said he would discuss the timing of the sale and the development of the childcare centre.