The problem facing him, is where to put them all.

Cashmere High had been promised a technology block with 14 new classrooms.

The scope of works were completed in 2023 and enabling works were due to begin over the summer holidays.

But instead of the churn of bulldozers and earthmovers, Eccleton heard nothing but ‘radio silence’.

The Government has announced a short and sharp inquiry into school properties, with new Prime Minister Christopher Luxon declaring the Coalition has inherited a school property system that is bordering on a crisis.

There are currently 350 projects on hold while the ministry looks for value for money.

Cashmere High School’s technology block is one of those.

The school was initially allocated new buildings on the basis of reaching a roll of 2000, a number they surpassed back in 2017.

Just like Luxon, Eccleton feels things have reached crisis levels.

“We’re in a situation now, that I think for next year, unless we are able to bring in temporary classrooms, which we can’t until we actually know where the permanent buildings are going to go, we won’t be able to timetable our curriculum,” he says.

“And when you get into a situation like this, you either have to timetable people outside, or you have to refuse to take in-zone enrolments.

“Now this is an absolute disaster, if that was the case, because students have a right to be able to attend their local school.

“But what else can you do if the Ministry refuses to provide adequate classrooms?”

Cashmere High School has twice shrunk its school zone in recent years, and not accepted out-of-zone enrolments, but parents are still flocking to the Christchurch area, driving property prices up by as much as $150,000.

Eccleton had big plans for the technology block, to provide space for specialist subjects including architectural and product design, multi-materials, fashion and textiles, digital technology and programming.

With limited space to accommodate such subjects, Eccleton says it can become necessary to ballot places in them, which is grossly unfair.

“So someone’s educational experience comes down to luck, whether or not they get on the ballot. And that’s not a good space for us to be in,” he says.

Since being told informally that building works were on hold, Eccleton has written to both the Minister of Education, Erica Stanford, and Secretary for Education Iona Holstead expressing his concerns over the process.

So far he has just received little more than an acknowledgment of his letters.  

“I’m really disappointed and frustrated with the way in which the Ministry have gone about it,” he says.

“It’s almost unbelievable that you can have a $20 million build put on hold with no communication.

“That’s pretty tough for a community like ours,” he says.

“We’re not asking for anything more than what our community is entitled to. And we’re being very transparent about that,” Eccleton adds.

“We have a job to ensure that we provide the very best opportunities for our students and the best learning environment – but you can’t do that without classrooms.”

His next steps, the principal says, are to wait and hope.