The long awaited secondary school in Ōmokoroa is closer to reality and the community is being asked to get involved in the planning.

Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti and Warren and Mahoney Architects are hosting a community engagement session about the new primary and secondary school on Saturday at the Ōmokoroa Library from 10.30am until 1.30pm.

Tinetti says the schools are part of the government's comprehensive plan to support growth in the fast-growing Ōtūmoetai catchment.

Ongoing housing development will see 1,200 new homes in Ōmokoroa by 2025, and another development area in the west of the Ōmokoroa Peninsula is expected to deliver approximately 3,200 additional new dwellings.

'Local schools in established areas have been under increasing pressure as the demographics of these neighbourhoods change to include more families with school-age children,” says Tinetti.

Western Bay of Plenty District mayor Garry Webber says it is great to see central government stepping in alongside council to accommodate Ōmokoroa's growth and provide fit for purpose facilities that adequately support the community.

'Ōmokoroa needs more educational facilities, in particular a high school. Hopefully both schools can be completed and open sooner rather than later.”

The new primary and secondary schools first announced in 2019 will provide capacity for up to 1,950 students across both schools.

The new secondary school will be the first secondary school in the Ōmokoroa catchment area, addressing community concerns over the current travel times faced by senior students.

Currently, secondary students must travel to Tauranga or Katikati for schooling.

For students living in Ōmokoroa, their nearest public secondary school is Ōtūmoetai College, which is 17km away.

Concerned parent Jo Linthwaite started a petition in August 2018 calling for a secondary school to be built in Ōmokoroa because of the long hours children were spending on buses and in traffic.

Her petition gained over 2000 signatures and garnered support from Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller.

Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti. File image/SunLive.

Tinetti says: 'The Government not only recognises the significant growth in our region, but is also driving solutions to achieve the best learning outcomes for our children and young people.”

'We are currently working with Pirirākau hapū and the Western Bay of Plenty District Council to plan for these schools.

'The relationships forged with the hapū will help to keep the educational goals of Pirirākau at the forefront of the school development, and I am excited to be attending a community engagement exercise designed to ensure the voices, aspirations, and cultural values of the Ōmokoroa community are considered in the development of the new schools.”

Webber says planning starting is positive news for the Ōmokoroa community.

'I encourage everyone to attend the community information session to understand more and ask any questions.”

The session's purpose is to help ensure the curriculum and learning environments have meaning for students, connect with their wider lives, and engage the support of their families, whānau and communities, says Tinetti.

The engagement session will be held from 10.30am until 1.30pm on Saturday, May 7 in the ground floor meeting space at the Ōmokoroa Library, 28 Western Avenue.