School head still on unexplained leave

Photo: Jules Chin
Photo: Jules Chin
The principal of a North Otago school remains on leave following a year of upheaval.

Totara School, south of Oamaru, has been under a commissioner since May last year, while its principal Sandra Spekreijse has been on unexplained leave since last October.

The Otago Daily Times tried to contact Mrs Spekreijse yesterday but she did not respond to calls.

Issues at the school came to a head throughout 2024 as it successively lost three teachers, its entire board and multiple families.

The roll dropped from 72 in early 2024 to 30 at the end of the year.

It opened the 2025 school year with 19 pupils.

This term the school had had three new enrolments, school commissioner Cleave Hay said yesterday.

Relief principal Judy Elvidge has been acting principal since early February.

Yesterday Mr Hay said the school was functioning well.

"The school is running well under Judy’s leadership, including three new enrolments," he said.

Those enrolments included a pupil from a family new to the area, plus two new local first-year entrants, Mr Hay said.

The school was funded for 72 pupils last year.

New Ministry of Education operational allocations for the school, due at the beginning of March, are now expected to be announced by the beginning of next month.

Mr Hay has previously said Mrs Spekreijse is "still employed but on leave".

Yesterday Mr Hay replied "not at this point" when asked about any resolution of the leadership of the school.

"No other changes to report at this point," he said.

Mr Hay was appointed by the Ministry of Education in March 2024 as limited statutory manager, after the school sought assistance from the Ministry of Education in January.

He was then appointed as commissioner in May after the entire school board resigned.

The statutory intervention will be reviewed this June.

jules.chin@odt.co.nz