Kawerau school closure: $6m for 2 campuses | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

Millions of dollars will be pumped into a new school for Kawerau but instead of being a complete merger, there will be two separate campuses - intermediate and high school.

The Ministry of Education decided earlier this year that Kawerau College and Kawerau Intermediate would close at the end of 2012, causing an outcry in the local community.

Yesterday Education Minister Anne Tolley announced $6 million would be allocated to funding the new school.

She said the money would go towards establishing a new secondary school in Kawerau, to provide modern learning environments and help boost student achievement.

"The new Year 7 to 13 school will provide excellent 21st century facilities for students in new and refurbished buildings on the current Kawerau College site, with separate campuses for middle and senior school students," she said.

"It follows extensive community consultation on how local schools, facing falling rolls and funding reductions, should be reorganised to provide the best possible education for students."

The new school will open at the start of 2013, following the closure of Kawerau College and Kawerau Intermediate at the end of 2012.

An "extremely disappointed" Kawerau Intermediate is reported to be investigating legal and protest action.

Kawerau and Rotorua MP Todd McClay said the funding announcement was an "exciting and positive" step for the community.

Mr McClay said Kawerau students deserved the best educational opportunities in New Zealand and the announcement of fresh funding to build and refurbish a new campus would deliver on this opportunity.

"Over the past 6 months I have had hundreds of parents raise their concerns regarding Kawerau College and local education with me. In response to their growing concern I have worked closely with mayor Malcolm Campbell, Minister Anne Tolley and local residents. The delivery of $6 million will mean that students in a new junior school for years 7 to 10 and a senior school for years 11 to 13 will have modern facilities to meet the challenges of the 21st century," Mr McClay said.

"It is also a chance for the community to swing behind the school and give students the level of support I have seen Kawerau so ably demonstrate over the past year."

Mr McClay also said it was important that the community played a role in the planning and decision making stages of the school and local people, including representatives from Kawerau Intermediate and Kawerau College, would form part of the new school board to be established early in 2012.