Chisnallwood Intermediate, on the city's east side, is to have its roll of about 600 reduced by 200. Photo: Google Maps
The Ministry of Education has decided to push ahead with plans to cut the number of students at a Christchurch intermediate.
Chisnallwood Intermediate, on the city's east side, has a roll of about 600 students.
Following the Canterbury earthquakes the school was told to close but the local community fought back, keeping it open on the condition it would be reviewed again in 2020.
The review was finished last year and the intermediate was told it had to reduce its roll by 200 students by 1 March, 2025.
Chisnallwood submitted an alternative 70-page proposal which included support from the intermediate's main feeder school and a query of the ministry's numbers.
The proposal also addressed Chris Hipkins' questioning from when he was education minister why the 400 number was chosen.
Principal Justin Fields said the ministry told them two weeks ago it was sticking to its decision.
"We certainly thought we'd at least get a compromise position, and we're still struggling to understand why one wasn't made."
Telling staff their jobs might be on the line was one of the hardest things he'd had to do in his life, Fields said.
"Everyone is drawing strength from each other but the reality is everyone has to look after their own situation, we all have to put food on the table," he said.
"They want to work here because of the success we have with the kids and the community, and how great the culture of the school is."
He was meeting with the teacher unions on Wednesday to make sure staff would be looked after.
The school community was told on Friday, but Chisnallwood was not giving up, Fields added.
He had met with National Party education spokesperson Erica Stanford and the school community was being urged to write letters to Education Minister Jan Tinetti while the Board of Trustees considered its options.
The school was taking hope from Redcliffs Primary School in Christchurch which had also been told to close after the earthquakes, he said.
It lobbied the ministry and instead got a roll of 300 students and an earthquake rebuild.
Chisnallwood Intermediate was still yet to begin its earthquake redevelopment programme, because the work was tied to the roll decision, Fields said.
"There's a local precedent there with the Redcliffs decision, we'd like to know what's different with our decision," he said.
The school's open night was on Wednesday, and already it had been receiving emails from prospective families asking if their child would still have a place now.
The ministry's Hautū (Leader) Te Tai Runga (South) Nancy Bell said last year's review recommended the school be redeveloped to provide places for 400 students.
"While we acknowledge the school's desire to keep the roll at a higher number, no further evidence in the school's submission suggested that the minister's decision required reconsideration," she said.
"This will enable the school to fully cater to their local community and also be able to continue to offer spaces for children living outside of the school zone. Since we advised the school of the decision, we have been in contact to arrange a time to meet and provide support for the process."
So far, the ministry's support had been sub-par, Fields believed.
"You'd think at least someone would come talk to you about the submission or talk to you about the decision in person," he said.
"They said the ministry would provide support after the decision but it wasn't until I contacted them last week that anyone's actually done anything to help us transition into the next stage."
"We recognise that a reduction in the roll will have some impact on the school. We will provide support to Chisnallwood Intermediate to manage the necessary changes that are required by the beginning of 2025," Bell said.