Education Minister Chris Hipkins said in September last year the school was to get four new classrooms — part of a $27million package spread over five schools.
However, yesterday the minister announced $5million of funding for 28 "short-term" classrooms in the South Island, two of those going to Hawea Flat and two to Alexandra Primary School.
Hawea Flat principal Tania Pringle said the short-term classrooms were expected before Christmas and were to cover the period during which the four new classrooms were being built.
She expected a start early next year.
The school’s roll is 265.
Ms Pringle said the school was already "out of space", and the four new classrooms, providing for 100 pupils, could not come soon enough.
The school has 10 classrooms; junior classes house between about 22 and 24 pupils and senior classes about 25 to 28 pupils.
Mr Hipkins also announced $7million for "roll growth" classrooms at four South Island schools, including Dunedin’s Grant’s Braes School.
A new $20million primary school for 400 pupils at Rolleston East, in Christchurch, is also planned.
Mr Hipkins said Rolleston was one of the fastest growing areas in the country and since 2010, four new primary schools and a secondary school had been established there.
Neither Alexandra Primary School nor Grant’s Braes School responded to a request for comment yesterday.
