A delighted Fairfield School principal Greg Lees said the "hugely appreciated" Otago Community Trust grant would be added to funds raised by parents and pupils to complete the hall upgrade project.
The trust grant will contribute towards the installation of opening windows, new floor coverings, and LED lighting in the hall.
Mr Lees said there was currently no ventilation in the hall space, so the opening windows would make a big difference to air quality in the space.
"The school hall is very much at the heart of the Fairfield community, and is well used by a whole range of local groups," he said.
The flooring would be more comfortable for the children to sit on during assemblies, and would improve acoustics.
The installation of LED lighting would brighten the hall space and be more sustainable for the school in terms of energy use, he said.
The hall upgrade will cost about $75,000, including the Otago Community Trust’s $63,495, $10,000 raised by the Friends of Fairfield School parents’ committee, and $1300 raised by the student council.
The hall interior renovation will complete the upgrade of the Fairfield School hall, which began with the expansion and upgrade of the hall’s attic space, taking it from a storage space to a multi-use area. It also includes the installation of a stairwell and a fire safety upgrade.
With a budget of about $320,000, the attic conversion project is being jointly funded by the Ministry of Education and the Fairfield School Board of Trustees.
Both the attic conversion and the hall upgrade are being done by Stewart Construction Ltd and are due for completion by the start of next term.
Mr Lees said the new attic space would be used initially by new entrants, while the school's overall upgrade was being addressed, after which it would be used for meetings, a music room, and quiet reading space.
