Paeroa College is implementing a school zoning scheme for all new enrolments from 2025.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) told The Profile it was establishing the scheme to address increasing roll numbers at the college. The roll currently sits at around 360 pupils.
“The purpose of an enrolment scheme is to prevent potential overcrowding, provide a fair and transparent process for enrolments and to make sure we’re able to make best use of existing capacity within the school network,” MOE’s central region deputy secretary Jocelyn Mikaere said.
“Paeroa College has experienced significant roll growth over the last three years, and we have been working with them to address this, both in the short term and the long term. The proposed enrolment zone will mean that children who live in a school’s zone have an automatic right to enrol at the school.”
Paeroa College’s acting principal Kieran Udy said there was a need for zoning at the school.
“We’re already way over our building capacity, and so to get additional buildings, one of the requirements is you have to put in an enrolment scheme,” he said.
A draft document outlining the zone scheme is currently available on the ministry’s website. The ministry is inviting the school parent community, wider community and other interested parties to give their feedback, with submissions closing on August 9.
Students outside the zone will still be able to apply to enrol, with applications going to a ballot if numbers exceed available spaces. Priority will be given in descending order to: students attending the Rūmaki Reo Māori language school; siblings of current Paeroa College students; siblings of former Paeroa College students; children of staff or the school board; and all other applicants.
Full map available at www.education.govt.nz; submissions close August 9.
