The Dunedin school's board of trustees wants to shed 5.47ha of its 18.77ha footprint, which includes a large portion of the school's sports fields.
Principal Rick Geerlofs said 3.91ha above the tree line on the northwest side of the school, and two blocks (0.75ha and 0.81ha) of field area at the southern end of the school's playing fields had been put into the Ministry of Education's property disposal process.
The school would retain 13.3ha on which school buildings and large sports fields lie, and a plantation of pine trees on a steep ridge above the school.
The school board of trustees asked the ministry to declare the land surplus because it was not used by the school on a daily basis for educational means.
A ministry spokesman said the ministry agreed the areas were no longer needed for educational purposes, and the land was entered into the disposal process.
Both land and buildings could be sold if they were surplus to the school's educational requirements and would not be needed according to long-term roll growth forecasts.
He said all disposals had to go through the crown disposal process and could not be sold directly on the open market or to a preferential purchaser.
Mr Geerlofs said there were positives about the disposal of the surplus land.
It meant the school would no longer be responsible for the land, which cost up to $3000 a year to maintain, and it paved the way for more housing in the area. If the land was zoned residential, more houses could bring more pupils into the area.
The land, and a school house, was now being offered to Ngai Tahu as part of the right of first refusal in the four-step disposal process.
If the property was not claimed by Ngai Tahu, it would be sold on the open market.
Mr Geerlofs said the board of trustees would receive up to 50% of the net proceeds after all the disposal costs had been deducted.
''Any income generated from the sale will be welcomed and channelled back into resources for students.
''It could be great for roll numbers - more houses is a plus for us.''
As for how much the blocks were valued at, and how long it would take to dispose of them, he could not say.
Rateable value figures for the blocks could not be obtained separately from the Dunedin City Council because the 18.77ha the school covered was valued as a whole.
Other schools in the disposal process at present are Rotary Park School (closed school and land, section 40); Kaitangata School (land only, section 40); Karitane School (house and land, section 40); Tokomairiro High School (house and land, right of first refusal); Waldronville School (closed school and land, section 40); Corstorphine School (closed school and land, section 40); Concord School (land only, section 40); Paerau School (closed school, house and land, section 40); Balclutha School (house and land, open market); Otepopo School (closed school, house and land, section 40); High Street School (closed school and land, right of first refusal); Kaikorai Valley College (land only, right of first refusal); Kaikorai Valley College (house and land, right of first refusal); East Otago High School (land only, open market); East Otago High School (land only, unconditional contract); Kaitangata School (house and land, section 40); Dunstan High School (house and land, section 40); Dunstan High School (house and land, section 40); and Dunstan High School (house and land, section 40).
