Kumeroa
Kumeroa is a farming settlement in Tararua District and Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is about ten minutes' drive from Woodville, on the opposite side of the Manawatū River.
The township consists of a school, community hall, tennis club and church. Most residents live on farms or lifestyle blocks.
Demographics
Kumeroa covers. It is part of the larger Kaitawa statistical area.Kumeroa had a population of 39 in the 2023 [New Zealand census], a decrease of 6 people since the 2018 census, and an increase of 12 people since the 2013 census. There were 18 males and 21 females in 15 dwellings. The median age was 49.6 years. There were 6 people aged under 15 years, 3 aged 15 to 29, 24 aged 30 to 64, and 6 aged 65 or older.
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 69.2% European, 23.1% Māori, 15.4% Asian, and 15.4% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by all, and Māori by 7.7%. The percentage of people born overseas was 23.1, compared with 28.8% nationally.
Religious affiliations were 30.8% Christian, and 7.7% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 53.8%, and 7.7% of people did not answer the census question.
Of those at least 15 years old, 6 people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 15 had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 6 people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $27,500, compared with $41,500 nationally. 3 people earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 15 full-time and 6 part-time.
Education
Kumeroa School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students, with a roll of as of.It opened in 1884. In 1994 it merged with Hopelands School and in 2009 with Kohinui School.
Later in 2009, a Ministry of Education review proposed closing eight of the ten schools in the Tararua bush area, including Kumeroa. Principal Jo Gibbs told the Dominion Post |Dominion Post] she was shocked by the proposal.
The school was known as Kumeroa-Hopelands School until 2018.
Students at the school have designed, built and run a vegetable garden, chicken coop, worm farm and pizza oven. The school has a wētā house in trees and a greenhouse constructed out of recycled plastic bottles. Students also do pest control and run a beehive at a local QEII National Trust covenant block.
Each year, students also shoot and trap possums for the school's Possum Hunt Gala, take part in the Young Farmer of the Year competition, and sell sunflowers on the side of the road for fundraising.