KEY POINTS:
Lobbying is under way in a struggle for control of Selwyn College in Auckland as the deadline for voting on board of trustee elections approaches.
The troubled school's board elections have escalated into a bitter campaign with candidates forming opposing camps and one group running newspaper advertisements in a bid to win the parents' ticks.
The elections follow a warning from Minister of Education Steve Maharey that unless the school found a way to attract and serve children from its own local catchment area the Government would take over the running of the school.
The ministry sent in an adviser, Alan Burton, to help remedy divisions in the board.
The board has struggled to attract students from the local, predominantly wealthy suburbs of Mission Bay, Orakei, Kohimarama and St Heliers.
About 20 people are standing as parent representatives for the school's board. About half of the candidates have formed opposing groups as the Thursday deadline nears.
One, Positively Selwyn, has five members who back the school's current liberal approach to education and its diverse roll.
The other camp, a group of four candidates, wants changes to make the school more academic and attractive to local parents.
During the past week, the group of four parents opposed to the current, liberal approach of the school have featured in advertisements in the Herald, asking for parents' votes.
Alan Patterson-Kane, one of the four and a current board member, said it was a make-or-break election for the school.
He said only about 10 per cent of the children at the school were from the local community and that had to change. "The people who gave money for this [advertisement] have children at schools in the local area and want them to attend a local state school. The concerns the minister had are the same ones the local community has."
However, George Burrell, a candidate for the Positively Selwyn group, said while he would like to see more local children attend the school, the campaign had been "poisoned".
"Unfortunately there is a campaign in those suburbs and I'm extremely indignant about this campaign. I've never seen anything like it before. I think so much harm has been done by them and it will take quite an effort to mend things."
He said the school could not ignore its wider pupil base for the sake of the local community, many of whom were wealthy and would send children to private schools regardless.
"It's not Kohimarama College, it's Selwyn College. You couldn't fill the school just with children from Mission Bay and Kohimarama. It's a big school on a big site and there is room for expansion."
Positively Selwyn counts in its five candidates two current board members, Tur Borren and Petronella Townsend. It also includes Margaret Belich, George Burrell and Matthew Blackmore.
The opposing group of four includes current board member Brent Williams and Karen Humphries, who has two children in primary schools in the Selwyn College area and has set up a petition calling for Selwyn College to change.
Vision Selwyn, a group which was set up to try to force change at the school - is also supporting the group which has advertised for parents' support.
Principal Carol White yesterday invited the media to discuss the school's approach to education, and the challenges of educating a diverse, multicultural school population.
She told the Herald she could not discuss the board elections or any ramifications of it.
Parents of children at schools throughout the country have been posted voting forms, for about 13,000 board of trustees positions at 2500 schools.
At most schools, including Selwyn College, voting ends at midday on Thursday. Results are due on April 4.
