An influx of out-of-town teachers has helped fill new positions in fast-growing Queenstown schools.
Wakatipu High School, which has jumped from 850 to 910 pupils, has recruited 11 new teachers - the majority from outside the resort.
Principal Steve Hall said despite the school moving to a brand-new Frankton site next year, recruiting remains a challenge.
''Because it is so significant, we try and start very early and we were recruiting staff in July last year,'' he said.
''That helped us do this really well.
''Things like housing prices and availability are part of that whole equation.''
He said many people still want to move to Queenstown.
''Wakatipu High School is a great place to work,'' he said.
''But housing is a common factor in the discussions and people's considerations [as well as] the cost of living here.''
Shotover Primary, in only its third year, has four new teachers, after its roll shot up from 319 pupils to 363.
One teacher was already living in Queenstown, while the others come from Dunedin, Central Otago and the North Island.
The school now employs 22 teachers.
Principal Ben Witheford said high housing costs and cost of living reduces the pool of applicants.
''If we don't see some softening in the housing market it might get harder.''
The number of children at Remarkables Primary, which now houses its library in temporary classroom, is stable at 556 pupils, but it expects its roll to hit 630 by year's end.
Principal Debbie Dickson said it was the school's ''normal makeup,'' considering its roll had grown from 54 to 556 in eight years.
Queenstown Primary principal Fiona Cavanagh brushed off a drop in starting numbers this year, from 570 to 561.
''We've got a stable staff - which is really delicious,'' she said.
Arrowtown Primary starts the year with 544 pupils, up from 2016's 525, and should end it with about 600, while St Joseph's School has 126 children, down from last year's starting roll of 142.
