Ministry of Education (MoE) deputy secretary Andrea Williams gave notice of direction for such at the end of last year, following a request from the board.
Education consultant Cleave Hay, of Dunedin, was subsequently appointed.
In a newsletter to parents last month, Mr Hay said he had been assigned all functions, powers and duties of the board as an employer, to establish policies and procedures and to manage communication.
‘‘This is an independent governance role where I will guide board action and policy while ensuring that the principal and staff continue to manage the day-to-day school.’’
At that time, Mr Hay said he was conducting a ‘‘scoping exercise’’ which would lead to ‘‘plans of action’’ he would work through with the board and longtime principal Paula Miller.
Mr Hay said the scoping report had just been sent to MoE — the next step would be to submit that to the board which, according to the school’s website, comprises presiding member Tom Butler, members Jenny Huckstep, Elizabeth Rikard-Bell and Naomi Coates, staff representative Gorettie Breitenberger and Ms Miller, who is in her eighth year as principal.
An LSM is typically appointed when it is deemed necessary due to governance challenges or operational deficiencies, and is intended to ensure the organisation can continue to operate effectively while addressing specific issues.
As to how serious the situation was at Glenorchy School, Mr Hay said ‘‘I wouldn’t deem it high-risk’’.
‘‘I would see more schools now who are reaching out for that help earlier, which I think is a good thing, before it gets too bad.’’
The length of his involvement with the school ‘‘probably depends on what hasn’t been revealed’’.
However, LSM appointments were reviewed within a year and remained in effect until the education minister determined it was no longer necessary — that was typically between 12 and 18 months, Mr Hay said.
Glenorchy School, which dates back to 1911, is the only school at the head of the lake. This year the school opened with 31 students in years 1 to 8, ‘‘which, for a population of 500 people, is not bad, really,’’ he said.
