Wellington Catholic primary school faces potential closure

Friday, 2 August 2024

Cardinal McKeefry School in Wellington is facing potential closure, but it would not be until the end of next year.

A Wellington Catholic school is facing potential closure because of stagnant population growth in the capital.

Parents of students at Cardinal McKeefry Catholic Primary School in Wilton have been told the Wellington Catholic Archdiocese had spoken to the Ministry of Education to consider the school’s future.

Kelly Ross, vicar for education and the director of the Catholic Schools Education Services, said the decision was made because of stagnant population growth, reflected in enrolment trends across the education sector.

All students and families would be supported and the school would continue to operate for the remainder of the year and next year, Ross said.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, second from right, and Associate Education Minister David Seymour, second from left, visited Cardinal McKeefry School in April to announce a plan using fines to tackle truancy. (File photo)

The primary school in Wilton, which ranged from year 1 to year 8, currently had 54 students – down from 84 in November 2019.

Al Abenoja, who has two children at Cardinal McKeefry school, said he would have to figure out alternate arrangements for his younger child who is in year 5. He said the potential closure wasn’t ideal, and he was shocked because he had not thought it could happen.

Abenoja said members of the school community knew each other, and it was different to others. He hoped the teachers would have a place to go if the school did close.

Ross said the archdiocese would consider the potential cancelling of the school’s integration agreement.

The Wellington Archdiocese said the decision was made because of stagnant population growth.

“To fulfil our mission of providing the best education possible to our students, we continually review and assess all schools in our network.”

The Ministry of Education’s operations and integrations haūtu (leader) Sean Teddy said the department was aware of the closure proposal.

“The ministry talks regularly with all school proprietors, such as Catholic Education Services about their future plans,” Teddy said. “We have not received any formal instruction from the proprietor that they wish to cancel the school’s integration agreement and close the school.”

The Minister of Education, the school proprietor, or both could agree to start consultation that could end up with the school’s integration agreement being cancelled. After consultation, the minister may disestablish and close the school, Teddy said.

Opened in 1970 and later named after the Archbishop of Wellington Peter McKeefry, the school was the first Catholic primary school in New Zealand to be state integrated with a maximum roll of 278. It was designated as a full co-ed primary school in the 1980s.

Its roots trace back to New Zealand’s first Marist Brothers’ school that provided education at various spots in Thorndon.