Shock as Govt strips back plan for school
A second campus for Rolleston College will be delayed, stripped back and redesigned amid a ministerial inquiry into new plans for school buildings, yet the Ministry of Education says it is a “priority investment”.
The campus is losing classrooms, offices, counselling and nursing spaces, sports courts, a whare and more – despite being one of the fastest growing schools in the country.
Selywn mayor Sam Broughton said it was “extremely disappointing news and a short-sighted decision”. He urged the Government to reconsider. “Almost 25% of Selwyn is below the age of 15 and our four high schools are already bursting at the seams. The second campus for Rolleston College would have gone a long way to alleviating this significant issue. Scaling it back will have a devastating impact on our communities and the future of our rangatahi.”
Stage one of the second campus has been pushed from 2025 to July 2026 and has been reduced to a 24-classroom STEM block, a single-court gymnasium and 12 temporary Portacom classrooms.
Stages two and three – which were to be completed by 2028 – are now uncertain. The school is already at capacity with 1800 students and is forecasting a roll of 3000 by early 2030.
Principal Rachel Skelton said she had “100%” lost faith in the ministry. “I just can’t believe that what they presented on Thursday they believe could function as a secondary school in New Zealand. “There must be other ways of saving money, rather than saving money on things that directly everyday effect children.”
In a media release, she said the second campus was not a luxury but an “urgent necessity” given Selwyn’s unprecedented growth.
She invited Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Education Minister Erica Stanford and Selwyn MP Nicola Grigg to visit the school and see the problem first-hand.
When asked yesterday about the decision to strip back Rolleston College’s upgrade, Luxon declined to comment about the school specifically, instead reiterating the Government's plans to put certain school building projects on hold.
Grigg also declined to comment specifically on Rolleston College, but said she was “very aware of the growth pressures” Selwyn schools faced “and have, on many occasions, lobbied in support of our local schools”.
The ministerial inquiry would identify over-engineered developments and the ministry would then work to deliver those projects, she said.
“I will continue to support local schools where I can, while on maternity leave.” (Grigg gave birth to her first child in December. She earlier said she would be on maternity leave for “a couple of months”.)
Ministry of Education head of property Sam Fowler said Rolleston College’s second campus “is a priority for investment”.
The proposed plan was to “reduce the scope of the first stage of development” to reflect what was needed for the campus to open, he said.
“The college raised several issues with what was proposed, and we will continue to work with them to ensure that the new facilities meet the need.
“Growth in the area is high and additional capacity is needed ... Further stages of development will continue to grow the campus over time as the college roll grows.”
Selwyn district councillor for Rolleston ward Sophie McInnes questioned the changes.
“On the one hand you’ve got a minister of education who is saying that we are having issues with our educational standards, and on the other hand failing to provide the facilities and resources to uplift those standards,” McInnes said.
“We don’t want our kids to be constantly ... accommodated in yet another Portacom.”
The population of Rolleston – dubbed the “town of the future” – grew from 3230 two decades ago to 28,000 last year. In 2021, it gained three times as many residents as Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, according to Stats NZ population estimates.