# Govt funds new classrooms at Wakatipu High School

Date: 6 Oct 2026
Released by: Hon Erica Stanford / Hon Chris Bishop

## MediaRelease.co Summary

The Government is funding 12 new classrooms at Wakatipu High School in Queenstown to meet fast-growing demand for secondary education. The New Zealand School Property Agency will begin construction in the first half of 2027, with the classrooms opening by mid-2028. Funding has also been set aside to buy a site for a future Queenstown high school, and a pilot will enclose some open-plan classrooms at six PPP schools.

## Original release

The Government is investing in new classrooms at Wakatipu High School to address the rapidly growing demand in Queenstown for secondary education, Education Minister Erica Stanford and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop say. The investment will see the New Zealand School Property Agency deliver 12 new classrooms for the school. Construction on the expansion will begin in the first half of 2027, with the classrooms opening by mid-2028. “Parents expect their local school to have enough space for their children to learn, but for too long communities in high-growth areas have been left waiting for infrastructure to catch up with population growth. “Queenstown has experienced strong and sustained growth over the last decade, placing increasing pressure on local schooling capacity, and we needed to take action.” - Funding has been provided for 12 new classrooms for Wakatipu High School. - Eight specialist and four general classrooms will be built. - The expansion supports growth while planning continues for a future second Queenstown secondary school. The expansion will deliver a new two-storey building with four specialist spaces for food technology and arts alongside four general teaching spaces, and a separate building with four hard technology and automotive engineering classrooms. Rather than relying on temporary capacity measures, the Government is investing in permanent facilities that provide additional teaching space where it is needed most. “This is about making sure teachers have the classrooms they need and students have access to high-quality learning spaces. “When we get the basics right, schools can focus on teaching and families can have confidence their local school will continue to meet the needs of a growing community,” Ms Stanford says. This builds on the Government's wider programme of investing in school infrastructure across New Zealand. Budget 2026 included $62.5 million to build additional classrooms and upgrade learning spaces across the South Island. Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop says funding has also been set aside to purchase a site for a future new high school in Queenstown. “School communities can be confident that we are planning for growth and investing in areas where demand is increasing. “As work gets underway on these new facilities and planning continues to address future student growth in Queenstown, we remain focused on delivering practical results that support students, schools and local communities. “In addition, funding has been secured to begin work on a pilot converting a limited number of open plan classrooms into enclosed learning spaces at Wakatipu High School, and five other Public Private Partnership (PPP) schools.” The six schools that will benefit from classroom modifications under the PPP pilot include: - Avonside Girls’ High School, Christchurch - Haeata Community Campus, Christchurch - Hobsonville Point Secondary School, Auckland - Rolleston College, Rolleston - Shirley Boys’ High School, Christchurch - Wakatipu High School, Queenstown “This Government is committed to ensuring classrooms help every child to focus,” Ms Stanford says. Note to editors: - Wakatipu High School is currently the only public secondary school in Queenstown. The school has had previous projects to accommodate growth and was moved to its current larger site in 2018 before being expanded in 2023.

## Key details

- Author/spokesperson: Hon Erica Stanford / Hon Chris Bishop
- Published: 6 Oct 2026
- Publisher country: New Zealand
- Original source: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/govt-funds-new-classrooms-wakatipu-high-school
- MediaRelease.co URL: https://mediarelease.co/nz/mr01285-govt-funds-new-classrooms-at-wakatipu-high-school-06102026.html

Original source: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/govt-funds-new-classrooms-wakatipu-high-school
MediaRelease.co canonical URL: https://mediarelease.co/nz/mr01285-govt-funds-new-classrooms-at-wakatipu-high-school-06102026.html