Staff and students who were heartbroken about the potential closure of a Whangarei design school are now over the moon after news it has secured funding allowing the doors to stay open.
The Design School, at the corner of Walton St and Robert St in Whangarei, opened in 2014 and teaches design, fashion and graphic courses from NCEA level two to four. In November the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) indicated it would not fund the level two fees free courses, which meant the school would close.
However, managing director of The Design School Michael Saywell said at the last moment the school was told by TEC it would have funding.
"The whole reason we came to Whangarei was because of the talent up there and that was the heartbreaking bit; the potential loss and impact on the community. So when we got the news that we got the funding back we were absolutely thrilled."
Mr Saywell said the school had applied for the level one and two competitive allocation fund but TEC indicated the school's application would be unsuccessful which would mean the Gisborne and Manawatu Prison sites would also close.