Government announces huge investment in Bay of Plenty schools

A new school will be built in Tauranga and another $37 million will be invested in the Bay of Plenty to accommodate ongoing school roll growth.

The Government today announced 50 new classrooms at 23 schools and kura will be built across the Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Manawatū and Whanganui to cater for 1300 extra students.

A total $16m will be spent on relocating and expanding Brookfield School in Tauranga to provide capacity for 325 extra students.

A further $21m investment will build 35 more classrooms across Bay of Plenty-Waiariki for about 700 extra students.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins released the Education Growth Plans for the region at Brookfield Primary School this morning.

"The plans forecast around 13,000 additional student places may be needed by 2030 – 10,000 of these in the Bay of Plenty-Waiariki," Hipkins said.

"We need to make sure families in some of our fastest-growing areas around the country can be confident their local schools will have enough space for their kids."

He said the release of the regional growth plans was part of the wider National Education Growth Plan, which forecasts that an additional 100,000 new student places were needed across the country by 2030.

Fifteen additional classrooms will also be allocated in Taranaki, Manawatū and Whanganui.