The expansion by the Ministry of Education is its latest effort this week to manage the Wakatipu's rocketing primary school-aged population, after calling for tenders to convert a ''void'' between two classroom blocks at Remarkables Primary School into a third ''teaching space''.
The ministry confirmed yesterday a two-storeyed block is now being designed for Arrowtown School in a project managed by Triple Star Ltd.
The permanent building will replace three existing relocatable classrooms, on site for about 10 years and now decades old.
The new building will include a lift and modern learning spaces and provide an additional three classrooms.
Mr Harris yesterday described the expansion as the most significant development for the school since its hall was built in 2004.
It was ''an exciting opportunity to build some modern learning environments'' after roll growth had prompted the need for more classrooms.
''We were due for one new classroom next year and one the year after, so that required two new classrooms to be built and we'd always been sowing in the back of their minds that we needed to conserve space, that we wanted to go up to conserve playing space,'' Mr Harris said.
''They looked at the three relocatables and thought they've been here a good while and it was time to move them on, so it was a bit of a surprise to us, but a very welcome surprise.''
Arrowtown School has 460 pupils in years 1 to 8, but anticipates 510 pupils by the end of the year. Large intakes of about 70 children in the junior years were driving the enrolment boom.
Design of the block is in its early stages and is being done in consultation with school staff and the board of trustees.
The relocatables will be moved temporarily within the school grounds during the holidays in July, then likely taken away by the ministry.
Construction of the block, where the three relocatables are now at the western boundary of the school, was planned to start in September or October, with completion by June next year, a ministry spokeswoman said.
The relocatables ''are our weak point in terms of appearance, so it's going to be nice to have a substantial attractive building in that area'', Mr Harris said.
