8 Mar 2016

Fate of failed charter school's valuable land to be negotiated

6:47 pm on 8 March 2016

The Ministry of Education is still negotiating with trustees of a failed Northland charter school about what happens to the valuable coastal farm it was built on.

The charter school about a week before opening in February.

Whangaruru school just before it opened. Photo: RNZ / Lois Williams

Whangaruru school officially closed on Monday.

The government paid an establishment grant of $1.3 million to Nga Parirau Matrauranga Trust, and it used much of that to buy the farm which it still owns.

The ministry said it's in discussions with the trust about the decision to close the school and the farm property is included in those talks.

Spokeswoman Katrina Casey said all the students who were at the school were now enrolled elsewhere - except for six who've either moved to Australia, gone on to tertiary education or in one case, a job.

Most of the students were progressing well, and the ministry was providing added support for those students and whanau who were finding the adjustment a challenge.

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