Funding boost well received

A new roof, solar panels, heating and even a swimming pool are some of the items Manawatu¯ schools hope to afford thanks to a Government infrastructure funding boost.

The Labour Party announced a $396 million funding injection at the weekend, which will be worth $693 per state school student, with each school receiving a maximum of $400,000 and a minimum of $50,000.

Schools will need to spend the money within two years and it is available to spend immediately. Schools that help special needs students will all receive $200,000.

The amount each Manawatu¯ school will get varies, but the news was well received and means schools can use the money for vital upgrades.

College Street Normal School Ross Kennedy said it was an unexpected and generous move, and now the school had to decide how to spend the $400,000 it was receiving. ‘‘ We do have an old gas-fired radiator boiler system for heating, which was probably established in the 1930s by the Ministry of Works. It’s OK, but it’s a bit ineffective in terms of heating.’’

Kennedy said the school could install heat pumps, while security fencing was another idea and a possible ‘‘big ticket’’ item was an indoor swimming pool.

‘‘Most of the kids that come from overseas are non-swimmers. There’s a real need there.’’

Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School principal Hamish Ruawai said the announcement was fantastic. The school will also receive $400,000. ‘‘We’ve got a major roofing project coming up that was going to use a lot of our money that could be diverted to learning spaces and it can go to infrastructure. We’ve also got heating and cooling issues.’’

Feilding High School will receive $400,000 and principal Nathan Stewart welcomed the news. ‘‘This new allocation will allow us to deliver our current renewal and refurbishment programme at a greater pace.’’

Ross Intermediate School will also receive the maximum amount. Principal Wayne Jenkins said its board would discuss this week what to spend it on, but there were many projects the funding would be suited to, which could not be funded by other ministry funding.

Jenkins said he couldn’t remember a time when schools had been given a funds injection such as this.