Otonga Primary School teachers to benefit from Government cash injection

Rotorua schools are swinging into action to spend infrastructure funding announced by the Government at the end of last year. Labour List MP Angie Warren-Clark paid a visit to Otonga Rd Primary School to find out how its plans for the funding are coming along.

Otonga Rd Primary School loves having visitors - especially ones who bring gifts.

And yesterday's visitor, Labour List MP Angie Warren-Clark, popped in to check up on a particularly welcomed gift - $364,000 given to the school for some long overdue revamps.

The surprise funding was announced at the end of last year as part of a $400 million Government package for schools.

The infrastructure spending plan will benefit more than 2000 schools across the country - the largest spend on school infrastructure in 25 years.

The amount of money each school has been allocated varies from about $50,000 to $400,000 depending on roll sizes and the condition of infrastructure.

Labour List MP Angie Warren-Clark visits Otonga Primary School. Photo / Stephen Parker

In the Bay of Plenty, 23 schools will receive up to the $400,000 maximum funding, bringing about $9m to the region.

Otonga Rd Primary School principal Linda Woon said the funding was a big surprise.

"It really was a Christmas present ... They saw it as part of the infrastructure spending across New Zealand and a boost to the economy."

Otonga Primary School pupils sing to their visitors. Photo / Stephen Parker

The school would use the money for two projects, a long-overdue staffroom extension and upgrading doors and windows in rooms 9 and 10 to improve air quality.

She said the improvements, particularly the staff room extension, hadn't fit previous budgets and kept getting put off.

"It is long overdue. We have 54 staff and the staff room only fits half of them."

Warren-Clark, accompanied by Rotorua Labour candidate Claire Mahon, said they visited the school to look at the needs and to celebrate the funding.

Warren-Clark said she hoped to see the staffroom extension developments over time and said the staff deserved it because they were currently cramped up in a small room, unable to hear each other or have proper space to relax and have a break.

In a special assembly for the school's visitors yesterday, Woon delivered the news to the pupils.

"We always like visitors who come with gifts," she told the children.

'It is a huge sum of money, $364,000 and she is wanting us to spend it on things we think is important."

Her announcement was met with opened jaws and "woahs" from the pupils.

Woon told the children how the school had been lucky to upgrade a good portion of its infrastructure recently.

"But the other people we have not looked after are our staff."

Westbrook School principal Colin Watkins said his school's funding, just over $369,000, came at the right time as the school was preparing to upgrade a classroom block from rooms 15 to 20.

Westbrook School principal Colin Watkins. Photo / File

"They are 1970s pre-fabs, are falling apart and quite disgusting really."

Watkins said initially the school had the resources to do only half of that block but the funding announcement meant the entire block could be done.

Those classrooms would be gutted leaving the shell, and will get new walls and carpet and be opened out to allow flow between the classrooms, with break-out spaces including quiet rooms.

Western Heights Primary School has been allocated $311,000 and had previously said it intended to use the money to help upgrade its old buildings.

Rotorua Lakes High School principal Jon Ward said at the time the funding was announced it intended to use the money for basic things like carpeting.