Huntly College will reopen on Wednesday, after being closed by flooding for two days, but communities north of Ruatoria are still cut off by road.
The school was shut as a precautionary measure after water covered some of its grounds and lapped at the doors of buildings.
Principal, Tim Foy, says it will be business as usual in the morning, though some of the playing fields will be kept out of bounds while the water drains.
Waikato Regional Council says it is confident the worst of the flooding in the region is over, but the situation will continue to be monitored.
Although the Waikato river is continuing to rise, it is slowing as peak flows pass downstream.
The council says MetService is forecasting up to 30mm of rain on Friday, but in the meantime, saturated land is able to drain.
He says the council is confident the stopbanks along the river will continue to hold, keeping water off about 26,000 hectares of low-lying farmland.
Ruatoria still isolated
The New Zealand Transport Agency says State Highway 35 north of Ruatoria will remain closed overnight on Tuesday, but should be open to some vehicles on Wednesday.
Sunday's closure of the road because of a major slip about six kilometres north of the town has hampered delivery of food and disrupted the activities of many people.
Gordon Hart from the transport agency says there is still a lot of water coming out of the bank above and below the road, but drainage is making a difference.
He says he will have a better idea on Wednesday about when the road will be stable enough for heavy vehicles.