Auckland schools in line for 30 new classrooms with space for 460 students

Thirty classrooms costing about $18 million will be built at schools around Auckland, Education Minister Nikki Kaye announced today.

Kaye and Associate Education Minister Tim Macindoe made the announcement at Torbay School which will receive a new 12-classroom block thanks to the funding. Eight of those classrooms will be additional and four will be replacements.

Kaye said the extra classrooms would provide about 460 extra student places, adding to the 680 additional places announced in June.

The other schools which will benefit are Owairaka District School which will get five new classrooms and three replacements, Kereru Park Campus which will receive four new classrooms and Clendon Park School which will get another six.

Kaye said the aim was to help accommodate roll growth and continue the modernisation of existing school infrastructure.

"Today's investment will provide around 460 extra student places, adding to the 680 additional places announced in June," she said.

"In total, we plan to deliver 4000 extra student places for the Auckland region as part of Budget 2017.

"Auckland is one of our fastest growing areas, and the Government is committed to ensuring the city's school network can accommodate this.

"This year's Budget provided an additional $8 million to support the ministry to better forecast and plan for future growth in the school network."

Macindoe said the replacement classrooms were included with the new builds for economy of cost and to allow flexible learning spaces to be built.

The new classrooms would have high-quality lighting, acoustics and ventilation as well as the latest digital infrastructure, he said.

Macindoe said as well as new classrooms, the $240 million investment would deliver four new schools, one major school expansion, the relocation of two special education schools to co-locate on one site and additional special education satellite units.