A $620,000 performing arts centre under construction for the rapidly rising roll at Otamatea High School will also be used by the wider community as a music, drama dance and conference centre.
Principal Haydn Hutching said the school roll had increased from 284 students in 1996 to 535 this year.
Building of
the 280 sq m arts centre started in August and was expected to be finished at the end of January.
"We are excited about the new centre because it will lend itself to all sorts of school and community events," Mr Hutching said.
The building will have partitioning doors which can be folded back to make a large auditorium. It will include a fully equipped kitchen and ablution block and have state-of-the-art sound and lighting systems.
"It will be a one-stop-shop for performing arts which will be handy for the wider community to use outside school hours for performances as well as being used as a conference centre," Mr Hutching said.
