The school has been under statutory management since October 2014 following problems with pastoral care, communication and public relations, governance, good practice and employment.
Invercargill-based lawyer Craig Smith, who took over from Nicola Hornsey, has been the school’s commissioner since early 2017.
Mr Paterson said recent discussions with Mr Smith gave him confidence the school, which has a role of about 420 pupils this year, would be in a position to elect a board when nationwide elections take place later this year.
"I’m very hopeful. I was speaking with the commissioner ... and he was saying we are on track to have elections in June, along with the rest of the country."
Last year, the New Zealand School Trustees Association held a series of support and information workshops at the school which were well-attended by the school community, with another planned for term two of this year.
The school’s senior management team, including Mr Smith, would meet at least four times before June to discuss school business, he said.
While he said there were advantages being under statutory management in terms of the decision-making process, being governed by an elected board remained the school’s goal.
"The board is obviously a parental voice, but I suppose just the public perception of being back to a normal governance model is important. I think that will give the community a lot of confidence. It’s kind of symbolic, really.
"From my point of view and being a principal, there are advantages in that [statutory management], but you have still got that negativity and being tarred with that brush, I guess."
