Education Minister Erica Stanford. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii
The government is increasing a major school property grant for the first time since 2010.
Education Minister Erica Stanford announced on Wednesday the base rate for five-year agreement or 5YA funding would increase 50 percent next year.
That would take the rate from $30 per square metre to $45 and the minimum allocation for the smallest schools would double to $90,000.
Schools used the money to upgrade or replace existing property.
The Secondary Principals Association lobbied for an increase earlier this year, arguing that building costs had increased a lot since the rate was set 15 years ago.
Stanford said the first group of 450 schools would get the new rates of funding in the middle of next year.
The change followed a $58 million property maintenance boost provided recently.
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