New School Taking Shape On Old Waikiwi Primary Site

New life is being breathed into the old Waikiwi Primary School site more than 16 years after it closed.

Construction of the brand new Southland Adventist Christian School started before Christmas last year, and was well on track to be completed by the end of 2020.

The Bainfield Adventist Charitable Trust purchased the school site three years after the school was closed by the Ministry of Education in 2004.

Trust spokesman and Board of Trustees member Owen Saunders said the school was being completely rebuilt and would feature four classrooms and an administration block to accommodate its growing roll.

He said the roll was currently at 100 and they were having to use the school hall as an extra classroom.

“The problem with the school was we run out of room,” he said.

The original school was built in the late 1960s, with just two classrooms and an administration block.

“It was just hopeless and far too small.”

Mr Saunders, who has been on the BOT for more than 40 years, said the school roll had doubled in size in recent years, and now employed four teachers.

“Life has certainly changed.”

The new school was being built by Barry Stewart Builders Ltd and work recommenced again during Level 3 lockdown.

The trust also owned Bainfield Park Residential Care, and once the school was completed it would sell off the land where the old school was, Mr Saunders said.

The school was state integrated but only received Government funding for teachers and resources, not property developments.