Parents and teachers fear more than a dozen high needs students at a specialised school in Nelson will have nowhere to go next year as a much needed school rebuild is potentially at risk.
Maitai School is the only day school for students with high and complex needs in the top of the south. For a decade a rebuild of the school's main site has been planned with sign off in 2019.
But principal Jenny Milne said three weeks ago they were told the rebuild was under review.
"It's just up in the air," she said. "We just don't know. It's being reviewed and we don't know the outcome of that."
It's one of around 300 school rebuilds around the country that are being reviewed by the Ministry of Education after costly blowouts in some projects.
If the rebuild is cancelled, changed or further delayed Milne said it would impact around half of the school's 52 students. "Now we've got 13 families — they've got nowhere to go next year."
Many students would be learning in unsuitable environments for their needs, while others could have to return to mainstream schools.
For parent Annabel Scaife the impacts of that on her daughter Evie, 11, and her family would be huge.
"That's a really, really scary thought. It kind of means that we will need to consider whether or not we work because we will need to be available to support the school at any given moment."
Evie, who is social and loves music, has global developmental delays which means she is in a wheelchair and needs extra assistance.
Scaife said Maitai is huge for families like hers. "I just get really emotional ... Maitai for us has been life-changing."
It's a similar story for Annie and Blair Riley whose daughter Rosie, 9, has cerebral palsy. She previously went to a mainstream school and her parents said the difference is like night and day.
"Rosie's communication went through the roof," Annie Riley said. "They have specialised people here to develop these amazing skills in these kids."
In a statement the Ministry of Education said it was committed to the rebuild but the review was about getting better "value for money" and it would have more to say in the next couple of weeks.
Ministry of Education head of property Sam Fowler said: "The review of the proposed project at Maitai School is underway and we will continue to engage with the school through the review."
"Ahead of the completion of the planned projects we will work with Maitai School to provide alternative suitable accommodation arrangements where required."
Education Minister Erica Stanford declined to be interviewed but said she had received a letter from Maitai School yesterday and has asked the ministry for an urgent update.
Maitai School's staff and parents argue their school rebuild should be treated differently to mainstream schools.
Deputy principal Janet Watt said parents often can't send their child to another school.
"We are the only specialist school in this area and we're the only option for these families ... we 100% need to be treated differently cause we're one of a kind."
'Heartless decision' - Labour
Labour MP for Nelson Rachel Boyack called on the Government to reverse its "heartless decision" to push pause on school rebuilds, saying students with disabilities "have just as much of a right to education as anyone else".
She said she's "extremely concerned" about the Government's "lack of action or focus on disabled communities — which is now having an impact on our local community in Nelson and the entire top of the South Island".
"Disabled students have just as much of a right to education as anyone else. It is outrageous to me that the Government would choose to fund tax cuts instead of a building project that will have such a positive impact on our community here in Nelson."
Boyack called on the Government to "urgently reverse this heartless decision so disabled children and young people who live at the top of the South Island can continue to learn and thrive well into the future".
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