New school opens doors in temporary building

Albany Senior High School students arrived at their new school wearing their new uniforms yesterday - and appeared not to mind being in a temporary building.

Had its construction plans not been delayed, the school would have opened this week in a brand new campus.

But the Ministry of Education ran into opposition when applying for resource consent for the site, spurring rumours that students would be taught in rented commercial buildings or North Harbour Stadium in the interim.

Instead the architects designed a temporary building with open learning spaces, sharing the Albany Junior High School site.

The Herald understands that about $8 million of taxpayer funds went into it.

Principal Barbara Cavanagh said the students seemed "very excited" about their new building which was custom-built and brought up from Matamata last year.

Construction is under way on the high school's new campus and is due to be completed in time for the 2010 school year.

Parent Andrew Hooker said the temporary building was "fantastic".

Prime Minister John Key and Education Minister Anne Tolley will declare the Senior High School officially open this morning.