The reduced "Band-Aid" enrolment zone around Remarkables Primary School will take effect on the first day of term two 2012, but the board of trustees still expects the Frankton school to be full by the end of next year.
The board on Wednesday received a letter of approval from the Ministry of Education regarding the proposed enrolment zone which means that from April 23, the new zone will include all properties from the Shotover River to the west along the south side only of the Frankton-Ladies Mile Highway to Kawarau Rd, and all roads to the south of those roads. It will also include McBride St and Yewlett Cres and all roads leading off these roads to the south of Frankton Rd, plus Remarkables Park, Kelvin Heights, Jack's Point and Lakeside Estate south to Wye Creek and all areas in between.
Board chairman John Stalker said yesterday trustees and staff were happy they had some certainty about next year to help with resource and budget planning.
"We're not overly excited with the whole process and the fact we had to do it, but we have no option. We were requested by the ministry to create an amendment to our enrolment zone.
"All current students, no matter where they live, are classified as in-zone. Any student who is currently at the school, no matter where they live, whether they are in the amended zone or not, will always be classified as being within our school zone, so they have a right to go to our school." The school would be allocated funds for roll growth and the ministry's property staff were getting regular updates of the school's population. Another classroom pod could be built "fairly quickly", he said.
Returned Clutha-Southland MP Bill English, also deputy prime minister and finance minister, told the Otago Daily Times on election night his priorities for Queenstown included making education decisions, "particularly around the high school and any expansion of the primary school".
The ministry's acting Southern regional manager Kathryn Palmer said in a statement the new zone would help the board to manage enrolments to prevent possible overcrowding in the school.
"The ministry is planning for an additional primary school when the current primary schools in the area reach roll capacity." Enrolment schemes were reviewed annually, but no further reduction was expected, she said.
