Rapid roll growth puts pressure on Canterbury schools

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Northern Outlook

By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter

Rapid growth at North Canterbury schools due to new housing developments is set to put pressure on classroom space.

Kaiapoi and Rangiora high schools have seen their roll size jump, while Amuri Area School is hoping some long-awaited new classrooms will be built this year.

Principal Jason Reid said he expected Kaiapoi High School’s roll to pass 1050 for the first time this year, up from 450 in 2012.

A redevelopment of the school in 2018 boosted its maximum roll to 1100.

Reid said he has started speaking with the Ministry of Education about stage 2 of the development, which would allow for another building.

‘‘We have the land, so the key is what does it look like.

‘‘It needs to be carefully managed because we need to look long term and not just for the next five years.’’

Local primary schools, including Woodend School and Te Kura o Tuahiwi, have also experienced rapid growth as more houses are developed in Woodend, Ravenswood and Pegasus.

Kaiapoi’s population of 13,000 is projected to grow by 52% over the next 30 years, based on Stats NZ’s high growth scenario.

However, Reid said the school did not want to lose its community feel.

The school had just 450 students when Reid’s predecessor Bruce Kearney arrived in Kaiapoi in 2012

Kearney approached the Ministry of Education about the need for the new building, before moving to Rangiora High School nearly two years ago.

Ministry of Education Te Tai Runga (south) Hautū (leader) Nancy Bell said Kaiapoi High School has planned for a future capacity of 1800 students.

‘‘Roll growth would only be considered when there are increased numbers of in-zone students.’’

Rangiora High School’s roll was set to top 1750 students this year, including 400 year 9s and up up from 1660 last year.

The school’s roll was nearly 1800 in 2016, before dropping back to 1600 the following year, after the board of trustees was replaced by a commissioner.

‘‘It is not just about population growth. It shows people value what their local school has to offer and that hasn’t always been the case,’’ Kearney said.

He feared the Ministry of Education may reduce Kaiapoi’s zone, with Rangiora High School picking up more students.

Bell said Rangiora High School has a permanent capacity for 1740 students, with temporary onsite space for 1940 students.

‘‘We continue to monitor the rolls and capacity of all schools in the catchment to manage the network, with no current plan for a new primary or high school in the Waimakariri district.’’

Rangiora High School uses old prefab classrooms across the road, which were owned by the board of trustees.

But presiding member Simon Green said the board was planning to decommission the old prefabs because it wanted to have the entire campus on one site.

He said the board had not spent much time discussing roll growth, with the immediate focus on building a new cultural and learning centre, installing walls in the open plan Rakahuri building, a revamp of the school farm and planning a new performing arts centre.

Amuri Area School principal Matt Barlow (pictured) said his school roll finished last year on 375 students and he predicted more growth this year.

Planning for new classrooms began under his predecessor James Griggs, but the Ministry of Education had yet to set a date for the build.

‘‘Whether you are at 1750 or 350, the challenges are similar and you can only control what your site and your staffing allows,’’ Barlow said.

He said the growth was due to the booming tourism in Hanmer Springs and the influx of migrant workers on local dairy farms.

Kaiapoi High School’s board of trustees was contacted for comment.

■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.