Possible Sites For Kamo School

Northern Advocate, 15 November 1940, Page 7

Possible Sites For Kamo School

Two sites were available for the new consolidated school. to be built at Kamo, but one was too big and the other was too dear, a deputation from the Kamo School Committee and Kamo Town Board told the Minister for Education (Mr Mason) last night. Principal speaker was Mr P. G. Thorley. He said that Mr Fraser had remarked: “Get us a site and we’ll get you the school.”

The consolidated school at Kamo, which would embrace four other schools, had been approved by the Education Department, but the building of the school had been deferred pending the finding of a site to which the department agreed. Two sites were available, one of five acres, and the other of 17 acres. The larger area provided the belter site in Mr Thorley’s opinion.

Adjoins Reserve,

It adjoined the recreation reserve of the Kamo Town Board, in which a swimming pool would be available to the children.

The owner of the 17 acres insisted on selling it in one piece, although ten building sites could be taken off the frontage, Mr Thorley said.

Not one of the schools to be consolidated at Kamo was under 50 years of age, and the Kamo school was 60 years old. The present school site was not suitable for the new building. Mr J. G. Barclay, M.P., said that Mr Fraser had agreed that it would be useless to build a new school on the old site. The old ground was poor and on a steep slope, said the chairman of the Kamo Town Board (Mr M. Mclnnes). “I am not pi’epared to resist that suggestion,” said Mr Mason. Were the building put in the right position on the larger site, ample playing, area would be available without much levelling, Mr Thorley said. 2 Minutes From Kamo. The site was within two minutes of the Kamo town. So far as the disposal of building sections from the site was concerned, Mr Thorley suggested that these might be disposed of to the State Housing Department. but for the war, the water supply would have been laid on at Kamo, Mr Mclnnes said. The State Advances Department loaned money on Kamo properties, which was a good indication of the soundness of the district, said Mr Barclay. School Rolls. Kamo school now had 130 pupils and the other three schools concerned had < rolls of 45, 25 and 25 respectively. A suggestion had been made that the Ruatangata school might withdraw its support of the consolidated school scheme.

The site of the present school would also yield a good number of building sections, and the question of mineral rights was also worthy of consideration, said Mr Mclnnes. Dealing with the larger site, it was pointed out that a portion of it across a stream, which ran through the area, would be suitable for a teacher’s residence.

The present two-storey residence was so old that it shook in a high wind to such an extent that persons were forced to vacate upstairs bedrooms and sleep on the ground floor. Mr Mason said that it seemed a decision on the section for the school was awaited and undertook to give the matter urgent consideration.