The Maniototo Area School grounds will soon be an education hub for children aged from 2 through to 18.
The area school caters for primary and secondary school pupils and the district's first kindergarten, opening in April, will also be sited on the school grounds.
"We see it as a positive thing, both for the school and the community, and are looking forward to having them there," school principal David Hunter said yesterday.
Fundraising for the kindergarten began more than two years ago.
"It's very exciting to be at this stage, with the opening not far off," Central Otago Kindergarten Association president Gigi Hollyer, of Queenstown, said this week.
The association has advertised for two staff - a full-time and a part-time teacher - and the facility is licensed to cater for up to 30 children, aged from 2 to 6 years.
"It will open with 20 and we'll build up from there," association manager Angela Jacobson, of Alexandra, said.
Enrolments of children aged 2 and over were being taken and 16-17 names were already "on the books", she said.
The preschoolers were registered for differing amounts of time at the kindergarten, so there was still room to accommodate more children, she said.
The single-storey kindergarten building was being constructed in Balclutha and should be on site by the end of March, with landscaping, decking and verandas to be added.
"There's quite a bit of work to be done yet, but we're confident the kindy will be open by the start of term 2 [April 23]," Mrs Jacobson said.
The kindergarten establishment committee was still actively fundraising, aiming at specific projects in and around the building.
It raised about $60,000 towards the $619,000 cost of the facility, the Otago Community Trust gave $75,000 and the kindergarten association initially provided $200,000 and later agreed to meet the shortfall in funding so the project could proceed.
It will be the seventh kindergarten under the umbrella of the Central Otago association, which covers Queenstown and upper Clutha as well as the Central Otago district. It runs two kindergartens in Alexandra and one each in Cromwell, Frankton, Queenstown and Hawea.
"It's probably been about three years or more since the last one, at Hawea, was established, and the parents in the Maniototo area approached us about starting one there, so it's great to see it all finally come together," Mrs Hollyer said.
The area school had been very supportive, she said.
