Budget 2017: Further $3 million investment in Bay of Plenty schools

Budget 2017 has already provided for around $30 million to increase capacity in Bay of Plenty and today Associate Education Minister Tim Macindoe announced a further $3 million will be invested in schools in the region.

Minister Macindoe visited Taupo-nui-a-Tia College in Taupo today to make the announcement.

“On top of the new school in Papamoa, the expansion of Golden Sands School and nine new roll-growth classrooms at Pillans Point Primary School announced last month, the first round of school infrastructure investment in Budget 2017 will also provide six new classrooms to three schools in the region,” says Mr Macindoe.

The schools receiving new classrooms are:

• Taupo-nui-a-Tia College - two new classrooms
• Te Puke Primary - one new classroom
• Taupo Intermediate -three new classrooms.

“Taupo-nui-a-Tia College is popular both locally and with international students and is widely known for being well-rounded. As a result, this school has seen its roll continue to grow since 2016. Te Puke Primary and Taupo Intermediate Schools have also seen their rolls grow in recent times.

“The Ministry of Education will work with the schools to ensure that their new classrooms meet the current and future needs of their students and provide the best possible learning environments to enable their students to reach their potential.”

“Today’s announcement also builds on the $23.2 million invested through Budget 2016 for a new school in Pyes Pa and 14 roll-growth classrooms at six schools, taking the total over the past two Budgets to over $55 million,” says Mr Macindoe.

“Overall, Budget 2017 is investing $456.5 million in education infrastructure which takes our overall commitment to school property to over $5 billion in recent years.”

It is expected that the new classrooms will be operational before the end of the 2018 school year.