Moerewa parents who want their senior secondary students taught locally have met Maori Party leaders.
Education officials replaced the Moerewa school board with a commissioner two weeks ago when it resisted an order to close the senior class, but three weeks into the new school term, the 17 students are still in limbo.
The ministry is keen to see the students enrol at nearby colleges where it says Maori students are achieving good NCEA pass rates.
But the students' whanau want them kept together in line with Moerewa's dream of a community campus.
The parents say their children have done well overall - despite some poor NCEA results in literacy and numeracy.
They're leaning towards correspondence school - but eight of the students who are under 16 need the consent of ministry officials to enrol.
Maori Party leader Pita Sharples and Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell travelled to Moerewa on Monday night to support the whanau and advise them on ways they might achieve their goal.
A spokesperson says the 17 students feel stressed but are still turning up at Moerewa school every day to be available for lessons.
