Mount Aspiring College (MAC) principal Wayne Bosley is “absolutely delighted” with a multi-million dollar funding announcement today (Friday July 3). 

As part of the first wave of a nationwide school redevelopment programme to upgrade schools over the next 10 years MAC will receive $33.5M, education minister Chris Hipkins said. 

This is in addition to a pledge of $13M made by the current government in 2017. 

“As a college we are thrilled,” Wayne said. “We have been working closely with the Ministry of Education to come up with a sustainable long-term plan to meet the needs of our rapidly growing community and it is wonderful to receive such positive validation.”

The funding will help extend an existing redevelopment project to replace poor condition relocatable classrooms, and better configure the site to accommodate future growth.

Wayne shows students the redevelopment plans.

MAC was recently named the largest school in Otago with a fast-growing roll of 1,139 students.

Wayne said the redevelopment project - which is set to take three years to complete - has been designed by Christchurch-based Athfield Architects and will include a whare, two multi-story classroom blocks and an administration building. 

Encompassing stages one and two of the MAC masterplan, the project will be built on MAC’s existing site. It has been designed to cater for 1,600 students.

The temporary classrooms on the field will be removed as part of the redevelopment project.

“The investment is vital to improve learning through higher quality classrooms,” education minister Chris Hipkins said.

MAC board of trustees chair Ed Nepia said the project’s value extends far beyond the physical campus.

“In a post-COVID climate the contract for this development will add much needed jobs and stability to our community, with significant flow-on effects throughout the region.”

Construction is expected to begin towards the end of the year.

“Our school community deserves to have a campus that meets growing need, and I am excited to watch the redevelopment as it gets underway,” said Wayne, who will leave his role as principal next week.

The MAC build is one of four school redevelopment projects announced today which are worth a combined $126M as part of the National School Redevelopment Programme which aims to upgrade around 180 schools over the next decade.

PHOTOS: Wanaka App