School to re-open after cable damaged by rats

Tuesday, 23 June 2026

All students will be able to return to a Christchurch high school on Wednesday after damage to a major fibre network cable forced it to close for two days.

Hillmorton High School, in Hoon Hay, lost internet connectivity after rats damaged the cable, under school buildings.

Principal Sam Ainsworth confirmed a temporary solution had been successful on Tuesday and the school would re-open to all students on Wednesday.

He said the closure was necessary as the school had lost wifi, wired connections, access to the student management system (including all emergency contact details, timetables, class rolls), the internal phone system and CCTV connection.

“When you’ve got nearly 1500 students, it’s just a danger if we went into an emergency situation, [not] being able to make contact with parents and being able to make contact with staff across the school.”

The closure was unpopular with some parents, who took to social media to express their frustration.