Wakatipu High School board spokesman and parent trustee Greg Turner made the comment yesterday as the board unveiled its building and facilities programme for 2011.
The need to cater for 100 more pupils and give breathing space to the existing roll of 770 prompted plans for an extension on the school's Robertson block, off Gorge Rd. The 650sq m extension would include new music, drama and computer technology areas.
A replacement 58sq m canteen was proposed and an extension and conversion of the front of the gymnasium would include a new off-street entrance plus two new classrooms. Extensions to the changing rooms were also announced.
Board members were also looking at opportunities to upgrade the teaching resources available to pupils for 2011.
When asked how much time the extensions would buy the crowded high school, Mr Turner said he could not say what the ministry considered the capacity of the site was. However, he estimated the school probably had three or four years remaining where it was.
The school had grown from a rural school for 150 pupils to a peak of 880 pupils two years ago, before the recapitation of years 7 and 8, Mr Turner said.
Between 720 and 740 pupils were expected on the roll at the start of 2011.
Mr Turner said the buildings were "a bit of a mish-mash of different genres and I think for some time the previous board were operating under the belief that a new school was imminent.
"Obviously, that has an impact on what you do and what you don't do. What we've decided is the school can't do that any longer. It's not fair to the students who are here now and will be here in the next two or three years to not spend the money that has been put aside in capital budgets for their good.
"If the school moves, great, but then so be it. It looks like it will, but it's looked like it will for some time."
Mr Turner said the board had no say in the ministry's process for finding a new site, but he hoped the board would be consulted once a site was selected. Using capital budget for the extension would not affect the funds available for a new school, he said.
The board of trustees appointed OCTA Associates as the project manager for the works, which are scheduled to be tendered in late January, 2011. Construction is due to start in late February and programmed to be completed about September 2011.
