Minister of Education Hekia Parata says combining four schools on one site in Christchurch will cost more than repairing the individual schools, but will bring benefits for the whole community.
Ms Parata has confirmed that the proposed merger of several schools to create the Aranui Community Campus will go ahead and that three New Brighton schools will merge.
Hekia Parata. Photo: NATIONAL PARTY
Ms Parata says the new community campus will cost $41 million to construct- $4 million more than repairing the individual schools.
She says by spending a bit more they can create a modern campus with the potential to also provide access to other education and health agencies on site.
The minister says the new campus could potentially be constructed under a public private partnership (PPP).
However, the Ministry of Education says it would prefer the PPP to cover more than just the one school, and is currently exploring this possibility.
The announcement is part of the $1 billion restructuring of schools in greater Christchurch over the next 10 years.
Chisnallwood Intermediate will remain open on its current site, with a review in 2020.
