Schools To Get Timeline For Five Year Property Plan

Schools around the country are being told this week when they will come onto the new five-year property plan as part of the Government's decision to introduce greater fairness and certainty around schools' capital works programmes.

Education Minister, Trevor Mallard, today said full state schools will have the option of a five-year property agreement within three years, starting with around 530 schools this year.

"Since October last year, the Ministry has signed agreements with almost all of the sixty schools that were included in the first schools to enter the programme. Most of them have their first projects underway.

"The feedback has been overwhelming supportive. Schools like the certainty the agreements bring, the ability to align property spending with their educational goals, and the ability to be masters of their own fortune in terms of deciding spending priorities for capital works.

"Other schools will be rolled over into the programme in the next few years. However, the Ministry is writing to schools this week to tell them when they will have the option to enter the programme instead of just knowing that it will be 'by 2004'. They will also get to know their indicative budgets for this period.

“By the end of June about 530 schools will have an agreement in place with between 400-450 schools being phased in over each of the next four years to enable a smooth, managed process.

“Generally schools with a greater need for work to be done will come in first, with those that have had major redevelopments in the past coming on stream later," Trevor Mallard said.

List of Schools and Entry Dates/indicative Budgets will be available on the Ministry of Education’s website: http://www.minedu.govt.nz at schools/property management/5 year property programme entry dates

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