The college has been pushing the ministry for a resolution since early last month after major cuts were made to its second campus under construction on the corner of Selwyn and Springston Rolleston Rds.
This week the college and ministry will be face-to-face again, but this time with independent mediators in the middle.
Principal Rachel Skelton said the school is still waiting for the specific triggers from the ministry which will mean stages two and three of the second campus will be built.
“The biggest thing I’d like to see come out of meditation is a firm commitment to completion of the entire campus over time,” Skelton said.
She said mediators have worked with the college and ministry separately, with this week being their first joint meeting.
“I’m hopeful it can bring us closer together because what we don’t want to do is halt construction or progress.
“We need to get the science and technology building that’s been agreed on under way.
“We need to get what they’ve agreed on for the gymnasium under way and then at the same time we can fight that middle ground (for further stages).”
“This is intended to make sure what is delivered through this first stage of development supports the needs of the school while achieving overall value for money. This role is ministry funded.’’
Stage one was due to be completed in mid-2025, but has been pushed out to the beginning of 2026.
In March, the ministry costed the stripped-back campus plan at $52 million – and told Skelton further savings would be needed in addition to the cuts it had announced.
The plan agreed in December was to cater for years 11-13 in a senior campus 2.5 kilometres from the main site, envisaging the roll would grow to 2100 senior students.
The site works were already done, and billboards had gone up promoting what had been a three-stage build.
Under the revised plan, the ministry has proposed makeshift portacom buildings instead of permanent classrooms, with no purpose-built fit-outs.
The science and technology block would also undergo minimal alterations, and a gym redesign eliminated all classroom space, spaces for nurses, counsellors and a staffroom.
Fowler said it has advised the college that further stages of development will continue to grow the campus over time as the roll grows.
“The timing of the delivery of those stages will be subject to the student numbers and the funding we receive through future budgets.”
Recently the college sent 130 individual letters of support for the campus expansion to Education Minister Erica Stanford, which she has responded to.
Skelton said the Stanford letter, while supportive of the college, offered no new information.
