Maniototo Area School is beginning a new chapter with major redevelopment plans and a new principal.

The school board has announced the appointment of principal Melissa Bell, who will start in the role next year.

Current principal Joe Ferdinands will retire at the end of 2022, and board chair Belinda Colling said the board sought a principal to “lead the school into the future”.

Melissa comes to Maniototo with an extensive background in education and leadership.

“We are thrilled to have someone of the caliber of Melissa with her experience and skill set joining our school,” Belinda said.

Maniototo Area School is currently undertaking a $11M redevelopment, which is due to be completed in the middle of 2023. The school is also planning development projects in its playground, school grounds, sports turfs and gymnasium - all for completion within the next three years.

“Our school has had some wonderful development with a full rebuild undertaken in the past couple of years that is nearing completion and we look forward to Melissa adding her leadership to this exciting new chapter for our school.” 

Melissa’s current role is with the University of Otago College of Education, where she has worked in teacher education and professional practice as well as working toward her PhD. She has worked in a range of primary and secondary schools across Dunedin; is the former principal at St Hilda's Collegiate in Dunedin; and her most recent role in a school was in specialist classroom support at John McGlashan College. 

An area school is a unique educational setting which offers schooling for years one to 13 (five to 18 year olds) so there is some challenge and complexity of running a school with such varied needs, Belinda said, and the board believes Melissa's skill set “will provide the right fit for the job”.

She said the board, staff, students and wider school community look forward to welcoming Melissa and her husband Nigel to the Maniototo area in the new year.