400 schools reap benefit of $100m property pool

By WAYNE THOMPSON

A further 400 secondary and primary schools will join the Government's school property programme this year, receiving funding of $100 million.

The schools are the last to join the programme, which started in 2000 and now has 2065 members.

Education Minister Trevor Mallard said a total combined funding of $532 million in the programme had been progressively made available to state, non-integrated schools.

The money was for upgrading existing property over five years.

Mr Mallard said the programme's certainty of funding enabled schools to make long-term decisions that made the most of their budgets.

For example, he said, they might forgo some maintenance spending on a building because they knew they had the money to upgrade it instead.

Among Auckland schools joining the programme, Rangitoto College tops the funding list at $3.25 million.

Principal Allan Peachey said the amount of the bulk-funding reflected the North Shore school's roll of 3000 pupils.

The money would go towards a 20-classroom mathematics block to replace dilapidated prefabs.

Another new member of the programme, Pakuranga College, will use its $1.4 million towards upgrading a technology block, guidance suite and media studies and language areas.

Principal Bali Haque said the programme was a good one for building development.

But the difficulty with funding on a five-year cycle was that the cost of building had soared so much that by the fifth year its value had diminished.

He hoped the ministry would index the funding to match some of the rising building costs.

Mr Haque said the school also received $1 million to compensate for its roll growth of about 150 students. This provided four extra technology classrooms.

Other schools joining the programme include Rosehill College ($2.85 million), Westlake Girls High ($2.18 million), Mt Roskill Grammar ($2 million), Lynfield College ($1.65 million), Epsom Girls Grammar ($1.147 million), Papatoetoe High ($1 million), Auckland Girls Grammar ($1.09 million), Hamilton Girls High ($2.53 million), Tauranga Boys College ($1.14 million) and Otumoetai College ($1.25 million).

- STAFF REPORTER, NZPA