A special meeting will be held next week by the Waitaki Boys' High School board of trustees to start working through complaints and comments about the school.
Chairman Garry McLeod said yesterday the board was frustrated because it did not know the nature of the issues and, until it knew the complexity, was unsure how long it would take to consider them.
They would be discussed at the meeting next week, which would also be attended by the New Zealand School Trustees Association to provide expertise and guidance.
But he hoped that by the end of next week, those who had made the comments and had provided their names would have been contacted and told what was happening.
The Ministry of Education said 17 people had contacted it with comments or complaints about student management, school communications, how concerns were managed by the school and the wellbeing of students and staff.
The contact included conversations with a number of people who did not wish to make formal complaints nor have their names recorded.
The ministry took those concerns ''very seriously'' and would ensure they were properly addressed, working closely with the board until all issues were resolved to the satisfaction of parents and the wider school community.
They had been referred to the board, responsible for running the school, for response.
The board, with assistance from the ministry, was also dealing with an alleged incident of a serious nature involving a senior staff member.
Mr McLeod said the board had received a letter of comments which had been copied to it by a person who had sent it to the ministry. It was dealing with that.
Apart from that, it did not know what it would have to deal with until it had received the information from the ministry and considered it at next week's board meeting.
''It's a bit frustrating for us because, apart from one, we don't know what the issues are.''
Mr McLeod had been contacted by parents and others in the community who have been concerned about criticism of the school. They had generally been positive and their questions answered.
However, Mr McLeod said he could not get into specifics because of the privacy of individuals.
''Because of that, our hands are tied somewhat in what we can say.''
Mr McLeod emphasised the board would work through the issues raised as soon as it could.
''We want to resolve those for the sake of staff, the school and the community as a whole,'' he said.
The Otago Daily Times has received emails and comments, including from former teachers who have left since 2012, on what has been happening at the school.
The comments included staff management, overall school management, previous procedures being dismantled and not replaced, lack of action by the board, student discipline procedures and student behaviour, both at and when attending events as pupils outside school.
