Taupo schools almost full

Wairakei Primary School's new enrolment scheme zone. Exact details are on the school's website.

With another Taupo school putting an enrolment zone in place from Monday and another in the pipeline, the town's schools are either full or close to.

But the Ministry of Education said it had no plans to buy land for a new school in the district.

Wairakei Primary School near Taupo has released details of its new enrolment zone which included most of fast-growing lakeshore settlement Kinloch.

All students living within the school's new home zone, which takes effect from August 21, are eligible to be enrolled at the school. Priority would also be given to siblings of current and former students.

Wairakei Primary School's zone brings to four the number of Taupo schools that have zones, or enrolment schemes as they are known.

Taupo-nui-a-Tia College has also been instructed to implement an enrolment scheme.

Principal Peter Moyle said last month, given the process involved in implementing a zone, he did not know whether it would be in place by the beginning of 2018.

But despite Taupo's schools all being either full or almost full, the Ministry of Education said it saw no need to buy land for another school in the area, including in the Kinloch and Mapara areas, which were growing quickly.

Wairakei Primary School's new enrolment scheme zone.

Taupo District Council figures showed planning permission had been granted for 741 new dwellings in the urban Kinloch, rural Kinloch and Mapara areas since 2001, and planning permission was also given for an additional 1769 dwellings in Taupo and Acacia Bay.

New subdivisions at Kinloch, Huka Heights and Wharewaka were expected to add to the pressure on school rolls in the two areas.

The Ministry of Education said it was using a "medium growth" scenario to plan for education across Taupo.

Ministry of Education deputy secretary sector enablement and support, Katrina Casey said Statistics New Zealand's population projections varied across age groups for 5 to 19-year-olds in the Taupo district and showed medium to high growth scenarios.

"Statistics NZ generally encourage the use of medium growth scenarios for planning purposes.

"Based on that we don't see any need to buy land for another school, including in Kinloch, and we are constantly monitoring the school network to ensure we have enough space for children to learn," she said.

Both Taupo-nui-a-Tia College and Taupo Intermediate were last month told they would be given new classrooms to help ease overcrowding, however the new spaces would be 12 to 18 months away.