Queenstown Lakes Mayor Vanessa van Uden and retiring caretaker Stuart ''Podge'' Cochrane were invited to cut the ribbon before an audience of 620 pupils, their staff, parents and caregivers and Arrow International contractors, plus past and present board trustees.
Construction costs were met by $940,000 from the school's ''5YA'', or five-year agreement with the Ministry of Education for property funding and an extra $50,000 from the board's funds.
Junior pupils and their teachers now learn in insulated, heated and versatile classrooms, in natural light with new ancillary rooms for break-out teaching and improved toilets, instead of in eight worn, dingy and cramped classrooms.
Principal Lyn Bird said the flexible and modern classrooms were designed to accommodate 21st-century learning needs and technological advances .
Dr Bird commended Arrow International for being ''very accommodating, safe and running smoothly to time'' while the upgrade work occurred during school terms since January.
