Rosmini House - the last high school hostel in Gore - has closed.
The hostel, which was located in the grounds of St Peter’s College, has not opened this year.
It was operated by a charitable trust. Trust chairman Brendon Harrex could not be contacted yesterday.
Although the hostel was in the grounds of St Peter’s College it also took pupils from Māruawai College. Māruawai College had closed its hostel just under 10 years ago.
It is believed boarding numbers had been falling over the past 10 years at Rosmini House as family numbers shrank and families chose other schools further afield.
St Peter’s College presiding member John Hogue had said in a school newsletter last November the hostel was operated by a charitable trust and the trust board, school board and diocese were in discussions about how a hostel for students of both St Peter’s College and Maruawai College might successfully run in 2025 and beyond.
Like many school boarding facilities, financial viability was a major challenge, he said.
‘‘The collective aim was to find a sustainable solution and to make a clear decision by the end of the school term to provide certainty for hostel families.’’
St Peter’s College principal Kieran Udy confirmed the hostel was not open this year but declined any more comment saying the hostel was operated independently by the trust.
Catholic Diocese of Dunedin operations manager Paul Olsen also confirmed the hostel has shut.
The diocese was considering what to do with the buildings and facilities used by the hostel. It was still early days and there were more discussions to take place on how to integrate the hostel facilities with St Peter’s College.
