Queenstown Primary School (QPS) principal John Western recently appealed to Clutha-Southland MP Bill English to speed up the process.
Mr Western said there was a "sense of urgency" while he and his counterparts waited for the results of the Wakatipu Basin Area Strategy: Developing a 20-year Strategy for Schooling in the Community.
The strategy was commissioned two years ago and the last update Mr Western had from the ministry was to tell him it was sitting on Education Minister Anne Tolley's desk in March.
Mr Western said there was uncertainty over the future direction of all Wakatipu schools.
The strategy had major implications for QPS and for Remarkables Primary School (RPS), which is to admit its first pupils at the start of next year.
"It's getting crunch time for us, being nearly July, and trying to organise my staff this year for 2010."
Mr Western said there were many budgeting issues to organise, which affected the provision of resources in classrooms and external contracts, including bus transport.
Mr Western said the strategy could decide if QPS would teach years 7 and 8 or if Wakatipu High School would retain those age groups.
"Or do they change the model completely and bring in a dedicated intermediate school for years 7 to 10? Do they buy land and build a new high school in Frankton? We're still awaiting clarification on how Remarkables Primary School will be introduced into the Queenstown school network, which has implications on how teachers will be employed from both schools."
RPS principal Debbie Dickson said the new school was connected with the strategy but was unsure to what extent.
"We're still waiting for information on how the Queenstown school network is going to be structured. We've been gazetted by the ministry as a year 0-8 school, but the intention from the ministry is we will be a staged implementation."
Mrs Dickson said years 0-2 would enter in term one of 2010, then years 0-6 in term two and for the rest of next year.
Years 0-7 would be admitted in 2011 and years 0-8 in 2012.
"This is only an intention. We're still waiting for the confirmation from that strategy."
Spokesman Grant Fleming said Mr English, speaking in his capacity as MP, was concerned schools lacked the certainty needed to plan for their communities.
"He understands the next stage of the Wakatipu Basin strategy is imminent.
"The process is expected to begin in the next couple of weeks," Mr Fleming said.
