The Halfmoon Bay School on Stewart Island, faced with losing one of its two full-time teacher positions, is hoping to use Prince Harry's visit to help it attract the two more children it needs to keep its staff.
The school is planning to advertise to attract a family with a minimum of two children, laying on a house for a trial period and promising to try to find a job for the parents.
School principal Kath Johnson said the school had two full-time positions staffed by herself, another teacher, and a third to fill in when she was undertaking principal's duties. The school had had that many staff since the Christchurch earthquake in 2011, when children arrived from the city.
If numbers were lower, one teacher could cope, but ''25 5-to 13-year-olds with one teacher does not add up''.
''We would not be able to provide the quality of education we are providing.''
The school also wanted to keep the teacher's job. Ms Johnson said with publicity from Prince Harry's visit, it was time to advertise to attract a family.
The community would provide a house for about a month, and introduce the family to employers.
Work on the island included tourism, mussel, salmon and oyster farming, service industries and with the Department of Conservation.
Asked what the island had to offer a family, Ms Johnson said it was ''an opportunity to live somewhere unique''.
Children could explore, as in times gone by, without adult supervision, something that could not be done any more in other areas of New Zealand.
As well, children could hear kiwi call at night.
''You can be a real New Zealand kid like you used to be.''
