Dargaville High School to get building upgrade as part of $87m Government funding

Dargaville High School in Kaipara will use its share of $87 million from the Government to refurbish classrooms and create a resource space. Photo / NZME

A Kaipara high school is one of 33 schools nationwide with some of the most challenging property conditions, according to the Government.

Education Minister Erica Stanford has also announced Dargaville High School among seven schools most urgently needing investment for infrastructure upgrades and repair.

As a result, the school will receive part of an $87 million investment shared with Albany Junior High School, Rangitoto College, Alfriston College in Manurewa, Newlands College and Onslow College, both in Wellington, and Christchurch’s Mairehau High School.

The money is the first tranche of the Government’s $300m commitment to improving the worst school infrastructure.

Dargaville High School will use the cash to refurbish four classrooms and create a resource space all in the same block.

Principal Michael Houghton said construction would likely start at the beginning of next year.

“They’re quite small classrooms, so we’ve been able to get some space out of the classroom or into the classrooms by taking out the corridor that goes behind them. That’s going to become a resource space.”

Houghton said the block to undergo work was one of its newer ones but still dated to about the 70s. Some other classrooms are reportedly originals from when the school opened in 1921.

The improvements were part of an overall plan focused on the school’s aged infrastructure.

“We’re really underdeveloped as a school,” Houghton said, but what was in store would improve the look and function of the co-ed school.

“You know, it’s a long process but now we can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Houghton said. “It’ll be really good to see the changes and the transformation there.”

He said a student’s environment had a huge impact on their learning.

“Light and the aesthetics of the classroom are really important.”

The planned improvements had taken this into account.

“The designs have slight roll doors, so there’s much more light coming in but also indoor-outdoor flow and getting groups outside working and small groups in breakout areas,” Houghton said.

“It also helps the opportunities for what kind of learning takes place by having more space.”

The other projects covered by the $87m include:

• 15 refurbished and strengthened classrooms at Albany Junior High School
• Nine replacement classrooms, a library and resource space at Rangitoto College
• Nine refurbished and strengthened classrooms at Alfriston College
• 10 replacement classrooms and an admin space at Onslow College
• Nine replacement and roll growth classrooms at Newlands College
• An admin block replacement and seismic strengthening of the hall at Mairehau High School

Stanford said they had all undergone a rigorous value-for-money review. More than $54m in savings had been identified via practical and efficient delivery methods.

“Further tranches will be announced once further due diligence and planning progresses,” she said.

Stanford claimed by using modular construction and standardised designs, the Government was delivering faster, more cost-effective solutions without compromising quality.

Ageing school infrastructure is a hotly contested topic between the opposing political parties. It gathered heat when the Ministry of Education paused more than 100 new classroom builds.

Stanford said the latest investment addressed the backlog of unfunded condition-related projects the current Government inherited.

A ministerial inquiry she commissioned in April last year found the Education Ministry’s management of the portfolio lacked transparency, clarity and efficiency.

Labour claims to have upgraded 98% of schools and delivered more than 2200 new classrooms during its term.