As you pull into Kaikōura High School, it's hard not to notice the line of portaloos and red tape keeping you away from the buildings, reports Sally Murphy.
Principal John Tait said the school's four blocks and library would have to have all of the bricks taken off the outside, and then be recladded.
"The Ministry of Education came last week and then again this morning - an engineer told us this afternoon all the buildings have to be redone.
"It's a huge job, we have no idea how long it will take to do, but they will have to get a team of builders into Kaikōura to do it."
He said, with three weeks left of the school term, the school could not reopen until it had sewerage and water.
"It's unclear whether we will reopen this year at all. It may be that we just hold a final assembly for the students as a farewell, and a bit of a get-together.
"It would be nice to start again fresh next year with the buildings all done and everything fixed," Mr Tait said.
Exams go ahead for some students, but many can't make it
The school's head of NCEA, Gayle Cameron, said two exams were still done today.
She said four out of a possible 12 students sat the home economics exam, and only one Level 3 student took the chemistry exam.
"For many of them they are with their families helping clean up, or supporting their parents.
"We have some students who can physically not get here to sit their exams, because they are on the other side of the road closures on State Highway 1."
Ms Cameron said some students in those circumstances would go to schools in Marlbourgh to sit their exams.
"It is frustrating working towards exams all year, but students can choose - and if they don't sit these final exams then they get the prelim results from the practise exams, so it all works out."