25 Jul 2012

School board stuck with 2013 deadline

6:32 am on 25 July 2012

A bid to open a new Bay of Plenty area school year later than scheduled has been rejected by the community.

Murupara School and Rangitahi College are due to merge to become Murupara Area School, partly due to falling rolls.

The Ministry of Education wants it to open by January next year.

But the school's board of trustees says it is worried about meeting that date.

Board chaiman Jacob Te Kurapa says members of the community have even offered a helping hand where ever necessary, in order to meet the deadline.

He says locals told the board that they wanted it to get on with the job and make sure it opens on time.

Mr Te Kurapa says it's focusing on the process to hire a new area school principal, and the board is now endeavouring to open by the 2013 deadline.