Erica Stanford says money that was freed up through lower building costs is being reinvested in growth areas.
Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
The government says it has found a hundred million dollars in savings to reinvest into building 82 more classrooms and a new school.
Education Minister Erica Stanford said the government halving build costs freed up the funding, which was being reinvested into rapidly growing areas.
Cashmere High School in Christchurch and Papatoetoe High School in Auckland were two of the biggest winners with 14 and 12 new classrooms respectively, and the new school will be a primary and intermediate in Pokēno, Waikato.
New classrooms:
Ashburton Netherby School – 2 classrooms
Cashmere High School – 14 classrooms
Cosgrove School – 4 classrooms
Kerikeri High School – 4 classrooms
Kerikeri Primary School – 4 classrooms
Papakura Intermediate – 6 classrooms
Papatoetoe High School – 12 classrooms
Shirley Primary School – 2 classrooms
Warkworth School – 6 classrooms
Whangaparoa College – 6 classrooms
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe – 4 classrooms
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Taumarunui – 4 classrooms
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Hiringa – 4 classrooms
New learning support classrooms:
Cambridge Middle School – 1 satellite classroom for Northern Health School
Eight satellite classrooms for Kimi Ora Specialist School – 2 at Fergusson Intermediate, 2 at Te Aro School, 2 at Wilford School and a further 2 at a secondary school in Hutt Valley
Mt Richmond School – refurbishing the space for 45 students
Oromahoe School – 1 satellite classroom for Blomfield Specialist School
New School:
Ring-fenced funding for a new Year 1 to 8 primary school in Pokēno
The minister said the investment added to the $713 million for school buildings from this year’s Budget, which includes $300m for repairs and upgrades, $255m for internal and external improvements over five years, and $58m for operating maintenance work.
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