Yep, Just Trash the Community.

The Minister of Education admits to over $7 million (excluding GST) of "property catch up funding" required by the schools of Upper Hutt. Thus the report "Save a Penny, Lose a School: The Real Cost of Deferred Maintenance" (.pdf) by Barbara Kent Lawrence should be enforced reading for our Minister.

Please note the following quote:

"Research indicates that losing a school decreasing the quality of life in the community: In rural North Dakota, researchers (Sell et al., 1996) surveyed residents of eight small towns. Those that had lost their school to consolidation reported declining participation in local organizations and activities. They also rated their quality of life significantly lower than residents of communities that had retained their local schools."