Two Rural Schools to Merge

By O’CALLAGHAN Jody

It’s a sad ending for Kohinui School – but merging with Kumeroa Hopelands School was a carefully thought out community decision, board member George Tweedy says.

The small rural Pahiatua school, with only nine students enrolled at the end of last year, was under pressure from a declining population, he said.

It would officially close on January 28 after principal Nicola Evans, the board and the community decided it was time to face facts.

“If there’s no children here, then there’s no need for a school. It’s very sad the school’s actually closing, but it’s one of those facts of life.”

The school was not within a township like the 35-student school it will merge with.

“I don’t even think there’s two houses stuck together in this area . . . the closest are probably 100m apart.”

The school’s roll was directly affected when a family moved out of the district.

Mr Tweedy had three children through the school’s system, with one who would move on to Kumeroa Hopelands.

And he would be the one board member joining the school’s board to represent Kohinui until re- election in about March.

Merging meant the 114-year-old school’s assets would become the property of Kumeroa Hope- lands School, keeping them within the community instead of going to the Ministry of Education.

The ministry has also allowed Kohinui to keep the original school hall, to be used possibly as a community hall, Mr Tweedy said.

Kumeroa Hopelands School principal Jo Gibbs said talks of the merger started in May last year, just after she took on the school principal role.

The school, itself a product of a merger between Kumeroa School and Hopelands School 12 years ago, saw it as a great opportunity.

“We’re really keen on having a strong rural school in the community, so we were really looking at having a large catchment area.

“It’s really just the two communities working together to ensure we have a nice, strong rural school in the community.”

So far, three Kohinui students are to join Kumeroa Hopelands, with more expected towards the end of the year.

(c) 2008 Evening Standard; Palmerston North, New Zealand. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.