Meanwhile, a proposal by the board to use rooms in the early childhood centre in the grounds of Remarkables Primary School to cater for the overflowing roll caused "unrest" in the community, board chairwoman Fiona Woodham said. She said the Remarkables board did not intend to force pre-school children out of the centre to make way for school pupils.
The board discussed the proposal with the Otago Playcentre Association last week, rather than centre organisers, because the association held the contract with the Ministry of Education, she said.
The board said in its open letter, released on Monday, a short-term solution could be to use the early childhood centre for "some" junior pupils next year.
The association told the board it was open to moving the centre to classrooms beside KingsView School and wanted to discuss options with the ministry.
Mrs Woodham said the playcentre association recognised the school community "had an issue and that as part of the wider community they could possibly be in a position to help us out. All of these children are eventually going to go to our school".
She said the board had laid the groundwork and it was up to the ministry to talk to the association.
The letter prompted ministry officials to bring forward their scheduled meeting with the board to next week. Mrs Woodham said the earlier meeting was a positive development.
"One of the things we did say in that letter was that we were not prepared to wait two weeks to hear from them, without having any indication of what direction they might be taking." Clutha-Southland MP and deputy prime minister Bill English has had discussions with the school about the enrolment issue.
