Education: Whanganui schools get 50% funding boost for property maintenance

Kākātahi School is one of 24 rural schools to have their funding doubled next year. Photo / NZME

Eight Whanganui schools will have a maintenance funding boost next year, with more to follow.

Government funding for Carlton, Castlecliff, Kākātahi, Mosston, Okoia, Ūpokongaro, Waitōtara and Whanganui East schools is increasing from $30/sq m to $45/sq m from July 2026.

They are part of a group of 450 schools nationwide.

Whanganui MP Carl Bates said the increase applied to all schools rolling into new Five-Year Agreement (5YA) funding.

“The funding has not been increased since 2009 so it’s significant.”

Carlton School principal Gary Johnston said the school was working on its 10-year property plan, so the increase was useful.

Projects such as new roofing and stormwater separation had been covered by the funding in the past, he said.

“Now we’re looking at some fencing and guttering – the non-fancy stuff that is really essential.”

Johnston said the Government was meeting inflation costs and “their responsibility as property owners”.

“They have obligations and they are meeting what the market costs us to keep the school upgraded.

“I would be hesitant to call this a bonus. It’s just a good, positive relationship.”

Education Minister Erica Stanford said in a written statement that 5YA funding could be used for upgrades, modernisation or replacement works on existing buildings.

“We’ve had overwhelmingly positive feedback from principals and boards who can finally tackle those day-to-day tasks like painting buildings, fixing windows and doors and trimming old trees over summer,” she said.

Carlton School principal Gary Johnston. Photo / NZME

“All Kiwi kids deserve to thrive at school; that starts with warm, safe and dry classrooms. Our priority is getting spades in the ground as soon as possible so schools, families and communities benefit.”

Johnston said the Government had recognised it cost a lot to maintain school buildings.

“We can create and present environments that are welcoming and that our community wants to use.

“And most importantly, places our kids want to come and learn in.”

Minimum 5YA allocations for small schools will double from $45,000 to $90,000, with Kākātahi School being one of 24 across the country to have the increase in 2026.

Principal Matthew Gill said it was well overdue.

“For us, we have what we call the playcentre building, but that was the original school building.

“There just hasn’t been funding to keep it up to date, even though it’s been ministry-owned.

“It’s sinking a bit and this enables us to get it back up to code.”

He said if there was a major project in the past, funding came from the school’s operations grant.

“That’s taking directly away from the kids for basic maintenance. That isn’t right.”

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily Whanganui District Council.