One state’s Education Department is recouping its losses from failed schools, selling the buildings and the land on which they sat.

Education Queensland has confirmed it will sell land belonging to five former public schools, after the sites in Brisbane, the Darling Downs and Townsville, were deemed financially unviable and closed.

Education Queensland is moving ahead with plans to put the former Fortitude Valley State School in Brisbane's CBD, Toowoomba South in the state's south and Stuart State School near Townsville in the north on the market. It is unclear which others will be offered for sale in addition.

Queensland Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the funds raised from any such sales will go back into “bricks and mortar” investments in existing Queensland schools.

In mid-2013, the Queensland Education Minister received some criticism for his department’s decision list the sale of $50 million worth of school ovals, teacher accommodation and land under lot numbers only. It neglected to include names and addresses of the properties, meaning many schools had to trawl through lot numbers to see if their assets were on the auction block.