New site for Paerata School
Along with 4,500 homes being built in Paerata Rise, it has been announced a new school site will be built as well.
Paerata School, which has a roll of 140, will move to the new site, with all new facilities in 2021 - which will coincide with the school’s centennial year.
The school site is 4.69 hectares, previously owned by Wesley College. It will be situated at the northern end of the development, on Jonah Lomu Drive.
The school is expected to cater for up to 750 students from Year 1-8.
Principal Luke Thompson said he was glad to be able to inform the community of the news, and to squash rumours detailing the school’s closure.
‘‘Now, to be able to let our parents and community know that we’re not closing, we are doing a bit of a shift down the road, it’s great.’’
Wesley College Trust Board’s Chris Johnston said Wesley College would also benefit, with funds from developing the land going towards a new site and facilities for the college, which will cater for 600 students - almost double the current roll.
‘‘Increased students means increased subjects and an increased number of girls we have...part of our ethos is to have a similar balance and cater for males and females equally.’’
He added the new site was in its planning stages, but the finished product would depend on how soon the house and land packages were snapped up, which would in turn fund the build.
Johnston said what would happen to the original Wesley College site was ‘‘up for debate’’ with ideas of it being kept as a school, or for community facilities.
Thompson said Paerata staff and students already had ideas for what their new site would entail, an opportunity he said would not come often.
The school is expected to be ready by term one of 2021.