The Ministry of Education has again intervened in the operations of Rotary Park School, this time by appointing a commissioner to govern the troubled school.
The ministry appointed Timaru business director Cleave Hay as a limited statutory manager in June last year, to take control of the 66-pupil school after staff allegations of bullying by principal Carmel Casey.
Mrs Casey left on sabbatical to Auckland University soon after the manager arrived, a move which was planned before the manager was appointed and was not related.
An Education Review Office report said there were issues between the board and teachers, and the principal and teachers, that led to "dysfunctional" relationships at the school.
When news of Mrs Casey's return to the school started circulating among staff and parents late last year, levels of concern began to rise.
Many parents at the school investigated sending their children to other schools.
Chairman of the school's board of trustees Bruce James and four other board members resigned in mid-December because they had come to the realisation the situation was "unfixable", and Mr James said a "toxic environment" had developed within the school, causing it to become a "sinking ship".
Ministry of Education acting regional manager, Southern, Kathryn Palmer said the Rotary Park School Board of Trustees was officially dissolved on December 19, 2011, after five of its six members resigned.
As a result, the ministry's secretary for education, Lesley Longstone had since appointed Mr Hay as commissioner for the school, to cover all of the duties and powers of the board.
"The commissioner is vested with all of the functions, powers and duties of the board of trustees as an employer," Ms Palmer said.
Mr Hay will govern the school until a new board of trustees can be elected. While Mr Hay was disappointed and frustrated with the situation, he said he would continue to work through the issues affecting the school, which centred on a formal complaint by a staff member about working relationships.
