Tauranga Special School principal Barrie Wickens was chuffed and excited to find out the Government has allocated $30 million towards expanding specialist school property around the country.

“It’s a significant step,” he said when speaking to SunLive following the announcement on Thursday.

Wickens added that most specialist schools around the country had long waiting lists of students with additional needs.

Budget 2025 allocated $30m to expand specialist school property by funding the construction of 18 new satellite classrooms at host schools nationwide and five additional classrooms at two base specialist schools.

On June 5, the Government announced the plan to ensure more students with the highest learning support needs have access to warm, safe, dry and fit-for-purpose learning environments.

“We know many parents of children with high needs want the option of a specialist education setting. Right now, those choices are limited because our specialist schools are stretched beyond capacity,” Minister of Education Erica Stanford said in a statement.

Two classrooms will be constructed at Te Puke Primary School for Tauranga Special School.

“The classrooms are set to enter construction over the next 12 months,” said Stanford.

To attend a specialist school, students must have specially verified as high needs or very high needs, which Wickens said has a lot of criteria.

“Essentially they have to have some form of intellectual impairment.”

Some students also have disabilities and high-severe needs. The students at Tauranga Special School range from ages 5-21 years old.

The special school offered therapy; support staff and teaching catered specifically for student of high needs.

Tauranga Special School celebrated its 60th anniversary on May 1-2, when they looked back to when they only had 11 students. They now have 122 students and a waiting list of 21 people, said Wickens.

“We get enquires every day. We’re in demand,” he said.

Currently, Tauranga Special School has sites all around the city including at Papamoa College, Tauranga Intermediate, Welcome Bay Primary and Te Kura o Manunui.

They have a total of six sites around Tauranga operating five days a week.

The new classrooms will accommodate another 16 students, but it will also mean the school can address some of the students from the Te Puke area.

Rotorua MP Todd McClay said the two new classrooms planned for Te Puke were a “big win for local families”.

Rotorua MP Todd McClay. Photo / Andrew Warner

“It means better support for children with high learning needs and greater confidence for the parents and teachers who back them every day.

“This investment gives parents greater choice and confidence, knowing their children can learn in an environment built to support their individual needs.”

McClay said the two satellite classrooms will help to ease pressure on specialist schools and ensure more students can access the support they need, right here in our community.

Construction is expected to begin in the next year, using faster and more efficient building methods, so students can benefit sooner, he said.

“Specialist schools play a vital role in our community, and I am grateful for their incredible work for the parents and students of Rotorua.”