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$7m for school mergers, development

Nearly $7 million has been put aside for mergers and developments at Bathgate Park School and Carisbrook School in South Dunedin.

Ministry of Education Southern regional property manager Simon Cruickshank said $1.249 million had been set aside for Bathgate School during the next four years, which included Macandrew Intermediate's unspent funding, money to remove/rationalise surplus classrooms and a toilet block, and a grant for the purchase of furniture and equipment.

It was estimated the closure of Forbury School would save about $260,000 in property maintenance grants over a 10-year period, he said.

For Carisbrook School, $5.596 million had been set aside, including the $3.76 million recently announced by Associate Education Minister Craig Foss for the provision of 10 new classrooms, associated site works and alterations to the administration area of the school.

He said the closure of College Street School was estimated to save about $190,000 in property maintenance grants over a 10-year period.

"The estimated saving in relation to staffing, operational grants, education development initiative and joint school initiative funding to the Crown over the first 10 years following the mergers is $3.27 million.

"This does not include costs/savings related to the upkeep or sale of school property," Mr Cruickshank said.

Dunedin MP Clare Curran said the cost savings appeared to be the main motivation behind the decisions to merge Forbury and Macandrew Intermediate Schools, and Caversham, College Street and Calton Hill Schools.

She believed it would not result in the best outcomes for pupils in the affected areas.

"The battle that Carisbrook School has had to go through to get adequate buildings shows that the Government is more interested in cost savings rather than the best possible facilities for a new school."

john.lewis@odt.co.nz

 

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