New Zealand Small Schools Upgrade Programme reaches 800 schools

Education Minister Erica Stanford announced that the Small Schools Upgrade Programme (Ngā Iti Kahurangi) has completed upgrades at its 800th school. The government‑funded initiative, extended in September with an extra $175 million, aims to improve 934 small and remote schools by the end of the 2028/29 summer. Upgrades include installing 74,000 LED lights, 89,000 acoustic panels, 5,700 bales of ceiling insulation, 201,000 m² of carpet with underlay, and 57,000 residual‑current devices to meet safety standards, as well as replacing windows, roofing, cladding and removing asbestos.

The programme also raised the five‑year school‑property funding base rate, doubled the minimum allocation for small schools, fast‑tracked a $413 million investment package and created the New Zealand School Property Agency to streamline delivery. Principals across regions reported that the faster, higher‑quality work has markedly improved classroom environments for thousands of students.