The application was made by the St John's College Trust Board, a charity which provides for scholarships and approved educational programmes within the Anglican Church.

Between 2014 and 2020, the St John's College Trust Board advanced approximately $14.85m to the Te Aute Trust Board which supports the two Maori-Anglican schools.

The money was advanced under fears that the two schools might close without funding support.

Both the St John's College Trust Board and the Te Aute Trust Board operate under the auspices of the Anglican Church. Read more

New funding through the St John's College Trust Board has enabled the Te Aute Trust Board to repay $9.2 million of debt to the Bank of New Zealand.

Te Aute's chair, Stephen Jacobi, said repayment of the debt, incurred on the Trust's farming operations, would remove the severe interest burden on the colleges.

"The repayment means the Te Aute trustees again have full control over the Trust's assets," he added.

"Acting on the clear mandate given to us by Te Runanganui o Te Pihopatanga, as the governing body for tikanga Maori in the church, we can now strengthen the special character of these schools as unambiguously Anglican and unambiguously Maori". Continue reading