Flipper International’s Lancia Campus Risks Shutdown

Dec 13 , 2025. By NAHOM AYELE ( FORTUNE STAFF WRITER )

After more than a decade in operation, Flipper International School’s Lancia campus has been ordered to vacate its compound to make way for the expansion of the Oromia Police Commission’s newly inaugurated headquarters on Sierra Leone St. The decision affects nearly 800 students from Grade One to Five, alongside five residential properties that have long anchored the neighbourhood.

Flipper International School’s Lancia campus is facing closure after over a decade, following city officials' order to vacate the compound to make way for the expansion of the Oromia Police Commission's newly built facility on Sierra Leone St.

The School, which serves nearly 800 students from Grade One to Grade Five, received the order alongside five residential properties, upending the daily lives of families and the school community.

The decision follows the recent inauguration of the Oromia Police Commission’s new headquarters, a 13-storey building constructed at a cost exceeding 700 million Br. Occupying 3,900Sqm, the headquarters features a dormitory, offices, a meeting hall, and detention cells. It is capped by a rooftop designed for a helicopter pad. But a few months after opening, the Commission sought additional parking space and submitted a request to the Addis Abeba Land Development & Administration Bureau.

Officials at the Bureau confirmed that the Commission was granted three months ago an extra 6,822Sqm, taking over land that had included homes and the School. The transfer was executed without lease fees, and the Police Commission was given direct responsibility for compensating property owners.

Among the five properties impacted are a villa and three standard houses, all considered to be in good condition, according to local officials. Many residents have called the area home for decades, forming longstanding neighbourhood ties. The Lancia branch of Flipper International School, opened in 2012, now finds itself at the centre of controversy, as parents, teachers, and students confront the prospect of a forced move with no clear alternatives.

The impact has been swift and unsettling. Two weeks ago, the School's administration sent a letter to parents announcing the order to vacate and assuring them that classes would continue until the end of the 2025/2026 academic year. An in-person meeting with parents quickly followed, drawing frustration and concern over the possibility of closure. According to some parents, who spoke on condition of anonymity, School officials admitted that shutting down the branch was a real possibility, citing challenges in finding a suitable new site.

“At this stage, we want to be transparent that we don't have any prospects or confirmed options for an alternative school site,” reads the letter issued by the School.

For many families, the situation poses a dilemma. They find that the Cambridge curriculum Flipper offers is not easily matched elsewhere. Many students have spent years at the Lancia branch, building strong relationships with classmates and teachers. The uncertainty has left families scrambling for solutions and questioning the city Administration's priorities.

Founded in 1998 by educators Serkaddis Seifu and Menna Selamu, Flipper International School has grown steadily. The School converted to a share company, bringing in SANA Education Ethiopia Ltd. and SANA Education Ltd. as partners before both companies took full ownership. Last November, South Africa-based ADvTECH acquired Flipper International School for 7.5 million dollars, becoming the sole owner.

The School operates five branches, educating more than 3,000 students at various levels, from early years to advanced-level programs.

Parents of students at the Lancia campus fear the forced closure would disrupt their children’s academic progress, as few international schools offer comparable curricula and nearly all operate at full capacity.

“Most international schools in the city are already at full capacity,” a parent told Fortune.

Several also recalled previous remarks by the School's administrators about high rent and lower margin at the Lancia branch, implying that financial pressures may have influenced the decision. However, the School’s General Manager, Getaneh Asfaw, rejected this claim.

“Our priority is always to grow, not to dissolve," he told Fortune. "The situation occurred due to the decision of the Land Bureau, not because of profit concerns or a desire to close the branch.”

According to Getaneh, management is searching for a new site and working closely with the city authorities to secure a long-term solution.

“If a site meeting all licensing, safety, capacity, and accessibility standards is found, we plan to relocate quickly and continue operations,” he said.

However, uncertainty persists.

“We don't have any prospects or confirmed options for an alternative school site,” the School told parents.

Legal experts have weighed in on the dispute, questioning how public interest is being interpreted in this case.

Habtamu Sitotaw (PhD), a land law expert at Bahirdar University’s Institute of Land Administration, called the demolition of a School educating nearly 800 children “disproportionate.” He acknowledged that public institutions have the right to request land for legitimate purposes but argued that authorities should carefully weigh such requests. According to Habtamu, the city authorities have a responsibility to balance development needs with long-term community impact, and the educational function of the School should be given priority in decisions affecting land use.

“The Police Commission seeks land for parking, whereas the School provides essential educational services," he told Fortune. "By any measure, the School arguably serves a greater public interest than a parking lot.”

PUBLISHED ON Dec 13,2025 [ VOL 26 , NO 1337]