


			Exit This Story

HUGE GROWTH AT NEW QUEENSTOWN SCHOOL

Print Page

January, 2019

A major new building project planned for this autumn will make
Queenstowns Shotover Primary School one of the biggest in New
Zealand and principal Ben Witheford says hes hoping thats its final
growth spurt.
A large section of land has been cleared in preparation for building work
to begin on a mammoth new teaching block in May, which will take the
schools roll capacity from 650 to 900.
That makes it the biggest primary school in the South Island.
Witheford says a new primary school within the Shotover zone is needed
to cater to the areas continual, and rapid, growth.
He points to newly-announced housing developments in Shotover
Country and Ladies Mile, which werent on the books when Shotover
Primary was first planned.
Wed like to stop at 900, the site wont cope with any more humans,
he says.
We would get quite nervous if no other education providers were
planned, in addition to the other new school.
The Ministry of Education announced in early 2017 that it was looking
for land for a new primary school in the Wakatipu.
Little more has been revealed publicly since then, but many believe it
will be located in the Jacks Point/Hanleys Farm area.
Withefords comments echo those of mayor Jim Boult, who told
Mountain Scene in December two new schools may be needed. If NZTA
does finally get our traffic issues sorted, theres further development
proposed for Ladies Mile.
You cant send them all to Shotover.
At the time, Ministry official Katrina Casey said any decisions about
new schools and developments will be announced in due course.
The new Shotover Primary building will be completed in stages, and is
dependent on future government funding which will be decided later in
the year.
All going to plan, Witheford expects it to be open in mid-2020.
Shotovers not the only school undertaking building work this year.
Arrowtown Primary Schools got an $11 million redevelopment on the
cards, while stage 2 of the new Wakatipu High School builds also on the
horizon.
And KingsView School is looking to buy a site and build a new school, so
it can grow its roll from 52 to about 150. The Christian school rents its
current Frankton building.
Principal Mike Stanley says: Its always been part of the vision of the
school, to own our own premises. [The board] is looking at a couple of
viable options.
Source: Mountain Scene