The Crown will enter formal negotiations with a failed Northland charter school over its remaining assets despite a prior agreement in which the school's trust agreed to reimburse the Crown in exchange for one last chance.
Education Minister Hekia Parata announced on Thursday she had terminated the agreement with Nga Parirau Matauranga Charitable Trust, which operates Te Pumanawa o te Wairua charter school at Whangaruru. The school will officially close its doors on March 7 but no students will return this year, Ms Parata said.
The kura, which opened at the beginning of 2014 as one of the government's flagship charter schools, faced an immediate range of issues including drug use, low achievement, a falling roll and poor governance.
Ms Parata put the kura on notice in February last year. An audit the following month was followed by a order to the trust for a remedial plan. In a letter to the trust dated July 4, Ms Parata said she acknowledged the board had taken measures to address issues identified in the audit but they were not sufficient for her to "make a definite decision to keep the kura open".
She then set conditions the trust had to agree with if the school remained open. One condition was: "In the event of termination, realise the value of the land and chattels to reimburse the Crown for as much of the funds invested as possible."