Wānaka Primary School (WPS) is offering out-of-zone enrolments for 2025 after school zoning changes have led to a shrinking roll, empty classrooms, and staff redundancies.

A “very restricted geographical zone” was designated for WPS by the Ministry of Education when Te Kura O Take Karara opened in 2020, WPS principal Wendy Bamford told the Wānaka App.

WPS was at full capacity with more than 770 students when zoning was first introduced.

The school currently expects to start 2025 with just 420 students, Wendy said.

Meanwhile, school rolls have grown at Hāwea Flat School (HFS) and Te Kura O Take Karara.

“The [WPS] board feel it is time to offer out-of-zone places to fully utilise our facilities and to retain our amazing staff, after the last five years of the board having to make staff cuts due to the roll reductions through lower enrolments through zoning,” Wendy said.

2020 enrolment zones

HFS was the only Upper Clutha school with an enrolment zone until zoning was introduced for WPS and Take Karara in 2020.

The WPS zone was assigned for students living within the boundaries formed between Ardmore Street and the Wānaka-Luggate Highway north along the shores of Lake Wānaka and the Clutha River outlet, excluding Albert Town. 

All other new primary school students not located within either the WPS or the HFS zones were assigned to Take Karara (with the zone covering central, south and west Wānaka, Albert Town, and Cardrona).

An exception is Holy Family Catholic School Wānaka, which gives first priority to Catholic students from across the Upper Clutha.

Time pressure to offer out-of-zone enrolments

“Over the last four years we could only take children living in 'our zone' until [Take Karara] grew in roll number,” Wendy told the Wānaka App.

She said the decision to invite out-of-zone enrolments for 2025 was made by the WPS board.

Although the Ministry of Education has signalled zoning changes may be coming, the school was required by legislation to make a decision and advertise about out-of-zone enrolments before September 15, Wendy said.

Zoning changes in the works

In July and August the Ministry of Education consulted with the boards of Take Karara and WPS about amending the existing enrolment schemes.

“The Ministry is proposing to amend the Wānaka Primary School home zone to rebalance the home zones between the primary schools in Wānaka,” Ministry of Education south acting leader Andrea Williams told the Wānaka App.

“It is proposed [the] Albert Town area is removed from Te Kura o Take Kārara zone and becomes part of the Wānaka Primary School home zone.” 

She said the proposal included ‘transitional arrangements’ to reduce the impact of the enrolment scheme changes for families living in Albert Town who already have a child enrolled at Te Kura o Take Karara.

Andrena said the ministry was currently reviewing feedback on the proposal.

It expects to inform the community on any changes in term three and the changes would come into effect from term one next year.

Anyone who would like to apply for out-of-zone enrolment at WPS has until September 27 to do so.

PHOTO: Wānaka App