Schools condemn council finance for private rival

By RENEE KIRIONA



Two state high schools are angry that a local-authority-assisted company is helping to establish a private college in their territory.

The Taupo schools have accused their district council of favouritism.

The two principals involved described the move as a "kick in the face" for their schools, which had been denied financial help by the council for various projects.

The Lake Taupo Development Company, which relies on ratepayer money, has secured a private provider to set up the 600-pupil co-ed, non-religious school.

While the company is not a division of the council, it receives $250,000 from it each year to deliver council economic services.

The heads of Taupo's two state colleges are none too impressed.

Graeme Ryan of Taupo-Nui-A-Tia College said: "A few years ago the council told me it didn't give funds to schools because that was the Ministry of Education's job, but it seems they now have a different view."

Peter Grant of Tauhara College labelled the plan "a kick in the face from the council". He said the town was too small for three high schools.

"If it goes through, then my school faces losing its cream of the crop - the role-model students all the younger ones look up to."

The development company's chief executive officer, Barry Delany, said he was only acting on what the community wanted.

"During consultation on the district's economic development strategy, the community identified the need for a private school. It's not as though ratepayer money is to be used to build the school. That's the role of the private provider."

Taupo mayor Clayton Stent said although ratepayers' money was not directly used for the school, his council-assisted company's resources had been used to secure a private education provider.

Mr Delany said Taupo stood to benefit economically from the private school. "Imagine the type of benefits $10,000 times 600 students would bring to the local economy."

About 1000 Taupo teenagers are sent to private schools outside the district each year. The company says the new school would lure them back and attract international fee-paying students and domestic students from outside the district.