The school bell will ring for the last time at Waitoa School, near Te Aroha, on December 16.

The decision to close the school has been made due to falling student numbers.

Principal Kate Daly said the school roll had grown from 15 last year to 18. However, this year there were a greater range of ages – from years 1-3 and 5-8.

Despite help from a part-time teacher and volunteer parent two mornings a week, the larger age ranges made it difficult to cater for everyone's needs, she said.

"We can see that in the future, it's going to be difficult to deliver that high quality education because of the spread of the ages," she said.

Also, there were concerns about the social aspects of a small roll, she said.

"We've always been about high quality education – we had a good ERO review – but we now feel that with the low numbers, it's impacting on social and co-operative development," Daly said.

"Some (children) only have one friend their age. It's time for children to go off to other schools and make more friends."

The school was well-resourced, however, with less funding from the Ministry of Education because of the small roll, school savings were dwindling.

"In the last few years, we've had to dip into our savings and maintain buildings," she said.

The decision to close came after a series of meetings with school families and the community.

"The community members that attended could actually see the big picture. They understood the issues we were dealing with and they were actually quite supportive," she said.

Daly, who has been principal for 17 years, said it was a hard decision to close the school.

She would be taking a year off next year, she said.

The school will be hosting a farewell on December 5, from 11am to 2pm.

Daly said school families, past pupils and teachers, and members of the community were invited to attend.

There will be an official welcome and a few speeches at 11.30am, followed by a sausage sizzle, bouncy castle and the school pool will be open.

Board chair Barbara Walker, who has been with the school for 11 years, said the board wanted the farewell to be positive and fun.

"We are celebrating the 111 years we've been here and we want to go out with a bit of a bang," she said.



WAITOA SCHOOL – THE FIRST 100 YEARS

• 1904: Waitoa Valley School opens

• 1905: Fences erected to secure the children's horses

• 1910: School Inspector recommends a school garden, and that nature study focuses on agriculture

• 1913: School roll: 41 children

• 1914: Letter to the Education Board suggests enlarging the school building

• 1922: Construction of new schoolrooms on Ngarua Rd

• 1924: Soldiers' memorial flag pole erected

• 1925: Schoolhouse completed, occupied by headmaster J Boswell

• 1932: Formation of the school's first calf club

• 1938: Infant block officially opened

• 1941: Bicycle shed extended to accommodate bike numbers

• 1943: Sheep bought by committee to graze rugby field. Roll is 160

• 1946: Lobbying from No 7 Rd parents for a school bus service

• 1951: Two new rooms built

• 1953: Swimming pool and changing sheds constructed

• 1959: Poplar trees planted, roll peaks at 222

• 1960: Parents vote against contributing to Morrinsville Intermediate

• 1968: Fire destroys three classrooms, office and storerooms. Construction begins

• 1969: School roll: 162

• 1971: Bike shed dismantled

• 1975: Adventure playground completed

• 1976: Library building opens. School roll: 165

• 1979: 75th jubilee

• 1987: School buys its first computer

• 1988: Falling pupil numbers to 88, room 6 removed

• 1997: Internet connection established. Original school building resited

• 2001: School roll: 32

• 2004: 100 years celebrated. Waitoa Playcentre relocates to the school