Schools welcome property boost

Principals in Marlborough are ‘‘very excited’’ to receive funds to improve school property, although they are still in the dark about the exact type of upgrades each school will get.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the $396 million package at the Labour Party conference in Whanganui on Sunday, the largest investment in school property in 25 years.

Schools will receive a one-off payment of between $50,000 and $400,000, with cash available immediately for use, and it must be spent within two years.

Waitaria Bay School in the Kenepuru Sound, more than two hours’ drive from Blenheim, would receive $50,000 for upgrades to the hillside property.

Principal Brenda Sutton said the figure was ‘‘very exciting’’, though she was still trying to confirm with the Ministry of Education exactly what the money would be used for.

‘‘It would give us the chance to really go through and look at our infrastructure, checking things like drains and water and sewerage,’’ Sutton said.

The primary school had nine pupils, having welcomed triplets at the start of term 4, and Sutton was a sole charge principal who did most of the teaching.

‘‘We’re only a little school, but we have a very supportive school board of trustees and we do a lot of fundraising. I know there are schools out there that really do struggle.’’

Blenheim School principal Denyse Healy said her school’s $58,905 was ‘‘exciting’’, but she did wonder how the amounts were calculated for each school.

The oldest building, fronting onto Arthur St, was built in the 1930s and needed a lot of maintenance work. Separate funding had also recently been approved for the ‘‘modernisation’’ of some classrooms, Healy said.

The school roll had just reached 100, for the first time in many years, she said.

Marlborough Boys’ College and Marlborough Girls’ College were to receive $400,000 each.

Boys’ College principal Wayne Hegarty said he would discuss with the Ministry of Education whether the impending colocation of the colleges would affect how the funds were to be used.

‘‘It came as a surprise, a pleasant surprise, for everybody obviously. Certainly it wouldn’t go unused. I’m sure every school in New Zealand could look at a space and say something could be improved to benefit the students,’’ Hegarty said.

‘‘But it could be another whole cycle of students that come through before we’re actually into the new co-located schools, and they have a right to education in a pleasant environment.’’