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The board of a Tauranga school says a Government proposal to change its enrolment zone to address its rapid roll growth could create “division” in the community.
The Ministry of Education’s proposed zoning change would mean some areas currently zoned for Taumata School in the Lakes area would instead bezoned for Tauriko School.
Taumata School’s board of trustees has been in talks with the Ministry of Education and has requested additional classrooms to accommodate the increase in pupil numbers..
“The ministry has instead proposed an outcome that involves amending the school zone,” the school’s principal and board said.
There is a Ministry of Education proposal to amend the enrolment zone for Taumata School. Photo / Alex Cairns
The ministry confirmed earlier this month the proposal had been put on hold until at least the beginning of 2024 ″after more questions have arisen”.
Consultation on the proposal opened on August 16 and closed on September 11, with a public meeting held at the school on August 28.
Taumata School parent Ryan Bradley has also expressed concern that children would have to navigate a “busy highway” to get to Tauriko School, which is on State Highway 29. .
Bradley, who attended the public meeting, said in his view, students who could have walked, biked or had a short drive to school would now be “forced to go up to SH29 and deal with ridiculous traffic”.
Bradley, who lived in an area that would remain within Taumata School’s zone should the proposal go ahead, said his daughter was getting an “outstanding” education at Taumata School and “everyone wants to send their kid there”.
“They’ve got the land there to build more classrooms. The ministry should just build them.”
Taumata School, where Stage 2 construction has been completed, expanding the school's capacity. Photo / Alex Cairns
Tauranga MP and National candidate Sam Uffindell also attended the public meeting.
“Almost unanimously, the feedback was ‘this is very divisive for the Lakes community’,” Uffindell said.
“People were really pushing back hard on MOE’s proposal to cut off a segment of the Lakes and have those children have to go to different schools.”
He said it was important the ministry talked to the local community and found “a local solution to local problems”.
A joint statement to the Bay of Plenty Times from Taumata School principal Gen Fuller and board chairman Ben Fitchett said the ministry’s proposal was “not supported” by the school’s board of trustees.
Taumata School principal Gen Fuller said in a joint statement that the ministry’s proposal was “not supported” by the school’s board of trustees. Photo / Mead Norton
While they recognised the proposal was one option to manage increasing student numbers, “we feel disheartened that such measures may create division within our local community and deny residents of the Lakes the chance to attend their local school”.
The statement said the school had 696 students and would finish the year with about 720 students. This was expected to rise into the mid-700s early next year.
Strong roll growth was “not new” for the school, which had been “communicated openly” with the ministry, the statement said.
The statement said the board had planned for further growth in Stage 3.
The site on Taumata School where Stage 3 construction was originally planned to further expand the school's capacity. Photo / Alex Cairns
“The board’s strong preference communicated to the Ministry of Education was for additional permanent learning spaces - Stage 3 - to be built to accommodate this growth, as was the solution when our school grew rapidly in the first few years.
“Unfortunately recent information from the ministry is that there is no plan to provide Taumata with the Stage 3 classroom block - in contradiction to previous communication.
“We have the land and intent for Stage 3 but we do not have the ministry’s support and funding.”
The statement said the board was concerned about how it was expected to accommodate its “ever-growing” school roll without Stage 3 classrooms being built.
Ministry of Education Te Tai Whenua (Central) Hautū (deputy secretary) Jocelyn Mikaere said the ministry had been working with Taumata School, the board of trustees and the community on a proposal to reduce the current enrolment scheme and home zone size.
“As the process has been undertaken, some more questions have arisen and the amendment is now on hold.”
Tauriko School principal Suzanne Billington pictured in 2021. Photo / George Novak
In a statement, Tauriko School principal Suzanne Billington said people in the Lakes and Tauriko were “lucky enough to have two awesome schools” in their area.
“Being a smaller school, it offers a warm, whānau atmosphere with learning that is personalised and supports young people to discover their passions and strengths.”
Billington said a school bus serviced the Lakes area, which meant parents did not have to manage the “busy pick-up and drop-off time” at Tauriko School.
She said the ministry was making decisions to ensure taxpayer money was “carefully spent” in relation to property.
Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.
