The number of junior pupils enrolling at Kaikorai Valley College is on the rise, giving staff reason to believe the school has turned an important corner.
Kaikorai Valley College principal Rick Geerlofs said the number of year 7 pupils enrolling at the college this year had increased by about 15% compared with 2015, and the number of year 9 pupils had increased about 5% over the same timeframe.
"We're reasonably happy with what's happening.
"Clearly, we'd like it to be far more, but it's heading in the right direction.''
The school has been suffering declining rolls for the past decade, but Mr Geerlofs believed the rolls were beginning to increase again.
"The numbers that are coming in are not as big as the numbers that move out at the other end [year 13], and that's going to take a few years to all balance out because there have been bigger cohorts in the past.
"But certainly, we're encouraged. We're hoping this is the turning point for the school.''
Kavanagh College principal Tracy O'Brien said year 7 enrolments were on a par with previous years, but enrolments in other years had increased about 10%.
"We have seen a lot more enrolments across all other year levels.
That was unexpected.
"There's a lot of new people coming to town.''
He said many of the enrolling pupils had parents who had recently gained employment as teachers in Dunedin schools, or lecturers at the University of Otago.
"We think that we'll be showing a slight net rise on our overall roll [March roll return figures] this year.''
Otago Girls' High School principal Linda Miller said her school would be enrolling "slightly more'' year 9 pupils this year than it did in 2015, which meant the school's overall roll would be at capacity.
"We're basically full across all year levels, so we're only taking in-zone enrolments,'' she said.
King's High School's year 9 intake is on a par with previous years, meaning the school's roll is likely to remain the largest in Otago in 2016.
Rector Dan Reddiex said the school was still pursuing re-establishing a boarding hostel.
"It goes around whether we can actually financially make it work. We're still pursuing potential suitors and fronters.''
A decision was likely to be made within the next 12 months.
Other Dunedin secondary schools spoken to by the ODT said their intakes for this year were on a par with previous years.
