However, the most recent issues at the Sunnyvale-based Maori immersion school do not appear to be as significant as those of the past.
The secretary for education intervened under section 7A of the Education Act 1989 in 2001, when an Education Review Office (ERO) report found the school was failing to deliver quality education and the board of trustees was having difficulty governing.
The secretary intervened again in 2008 after another damning report from ERO.
Issues with the school's delivery of the curriculum appear to have been resolved and it is back on track.
However, the school's declining roll is causing financial issues and the ministry has appointed Polson Higgs consultant Philip Broughton as a limited statutory manager to provide financial advice to the board of trustees.
A limited statutory manager (LSM) is appointed for the board of trustees by the secretary for education at the direction of the minister of education to work on a particular aspect or aspects of the board's governance role, while the board remains in existence. An LSM is appointed if there are risks to the operation of the school or the welfare or educational performance of the pupils.
A component or components of the board's responsibilities are temporarily removed from the board and vested solely in the LSM.
Mr Broughton said he was appointed late last year to monitor the school's financial situation and overview the recruitment process for its new principal.
The school's roll dropped to a decade-low of nine pupils in 2009, but has since increased to 15 this year.
''They have to manage on a very tight budget, because they have a very low roll. I'm helping them with that.
''They [the ministry] just wanted an external review process - a watching brief on their financial situation, and for me to provide advice where necessary.''
Mr Broughton said he expected to remain in the role for most of this year, and was confident the issues would be resolved.
''They are a very passionate and well-meaning school community and whanau, and they are just looking to increase their roll numbers.''
Once the intervention was revoked, the ministry would continue to monitor progress and provide informal support for whatever period was considered necessary to sustain the positive change.
The statutory intervention was the only one implemented by the ministry in Otago in 2012.
Two other interventions were in place in Otago during 2012 - a limited statutory manager at Clutha Valley School and a specialist adviser at Pembroke School (Oamaru).
These were implemented in 2011.
