The two worst-case scenarios facing Makoura College are "a merger or closure", says Wairarapa College Board of Trustees' chairwoman Karen Barbour. In a joint news media release yesterday Mrs Barbour and Wairarapa College principal Mike Schwass said they had met Wairarapa College staff last week to discuss the future direction ofsecondary education in Masterton. "This meeting was held to address the growing speculation and rumours surrounding the future of Makoura College. "Our discussion was based on the information that we have been provided through the media and there was clear support for the continuation of the two state schools in the town." Mrs Barbour, who attended the first meeting at Makoura College with two Ministry of Education representatives, said she had not been invited to any subsequent meetings and is "confused" about what is happening at the college. "The two worst-case options for Makoura are a merger or closure and it's not up to Wairarapa College to make that decision so we've taken a step back." She said the college's board of trustees has been invited to a combined meeting with Makoura's board next week but "we are going along not knowing what the meeting is about". "The reason we wrote a media release is because people are saying to us as a board why aren't we reacting and why aren't we doing anything. "We explained to staff at the meeting that we're not hiding anything we just don't know anything." Mr Schwass said he is unsure what options the facilitator has come up with for Makoura College. "I don't know at this stage whether Wairarapa College will have an involvement in future plans at Makoura." When asked if he would expect the ministry to have spoken to him if Wairarapa College was being considered as a merger option, he said: "I would certainly hope so but they haven't." He said he had been given a brief overview of what next week's combined board meeting would be about. "I was told we would be brought up to speed with what is happening at Makoura and that is all I know."
