Axe looms over tiny school after 97 years
A beleaguered South Wairarapa primary school may be on the brink of losing its battle to stay open.
School staff signalled to their community yesterday that the small school, 30 kilometres south of Martinborough, will ‘‘likely’’ close by the end of the year.
Tuturumuri principal Alistair Morrison said it was a sad time for many in the wider community and an event would be held in early December to mark the end of a 97-year-long era.
‘‘In celebration of the amazing memories and journeys which have happened at Tuturumuri School, the board is hosting an end-of-year send-off,’’ he said in a newsletter.
The school has been teetering on the brink of closure for a couple of years but this community message could signal its final demise.
The Ministry of Education would not confirm the closure, saying a decision had not yet been made.
Acting deputy secretary for sector enablement and support Coralanne Child said the decision to close a school was never easy but any decision would follow the requirements of the Education Act and would be made by the Minister of Education.
‘‘We acknowledge that members of the Tuturumuri and Tora communities have put considerable effort into supporting the school to increase their roll over the past two years but this did not result in a sustained increase in enrolments. This is always both disappointing and challenging for communities.’’
Tuturumuri School was considered for closure after the school had no students in the last term of 2017. Education Minister Chris
Hipkins made an interim decision to close the school in July last year but reversed his decision in September 2018 when the community rallied in support.
At that stage, the school had eight students on its roll.
Resident Paul Cutfield was on the steering group that attempted to revive the school last year and said that if the school disappeared, the community would lose a cornerstone. ‘‘It is the social and economic viability of the district.
‘‘It is the only place in the community where you interface with people, you connect with people and develop relationships.’’
Without a school, the community was going to lose a chance to ‘‘rebuild the social content’’.
‘‘It is incredibly sad to us who have the memories but it is a death sentence to future development.
‘‘How will people sell their farms to families if there is no school here? This area is going to be a whole pinetree plantation.’’
Child said in September that the school board had held two community meetings to discuss the school’s long-term viability.
‘‘This resulted in the board discussing making a request for voluntary closure. The board felt any request for closure should be a unanimous decision, which they were unable to reach.’’