A new underpass linking Abbotsford School to the new Grand Vista Estate on the other side of the main south railway line in Abbotsford, had prompted the school to plan for unprecedented roll growth in the next five to 10 years.
Principal Stephanie Madden said an increasing number of pupils and staff were living at the estate and were using the underpass to get to school.
The shortcut means pupils living at Grand Vista do not have to walk more than a kilometre, along Severn St to the railway overbridge near Main South Road, and then back along North Taieri Rd, to the school.
Because the school was now so accessible to pupils living on the estate, parents were moving their families into the new subdivision and the school's roll had grown significantly, she said.
''Our roll is growing. The number of new entrants has grown from about 30 per year in previous years, to 45 this year, and we're expecting it to stay at that level.''
The school's total roll had been sitting around 270 for many years, but this year's roll had increased significantly, to 297, Mrs Madden said.
LJ Hooker real estate agent Jason Hynes said, so far, about 80 houses had been built or were under construction, and there would be at least 160 sections once the development was complete.
Mrs Madden said, in the medium term, the school was planning for the roll to grow to well over 300 pupils.
''The speed that the Grand Vista development is moving is amazing.
''In the short to medium-term future, we are considering where we can fit these kids in.
''In the next five to 10 years, we will need more classroom space.''
The school has an enrolment zone and a ''proportion'' of the school's pupils were from outside the zone.
The school would now attempt to control growth by carefully managing the number of ''out-of-zone'' pupils, she said.
Despite the challenges of controlling the roll's growth, Mrs Madden said it was an exciting time for the school community.
''It's fabulous news.''
The school is now liaising with the developers to see if they can beautify the tunnel area, and make it more a part of the school, she said.
One proposal was to have the pupils paint a mural on the concrete walls of the underpass.
