Kawerau Intermediate School is determined to stop the closure of the school in the Eastern Bay of Plenty following the decision to merge with Kawerau College.

At the beginning of 2010, then Education Minister Anne Tolley announced she was going to merge the schools in Kawerau due to falling roll numbers.

She presented the community with three options and requested feedback from the public on these options before making a decision.

Anne then decided to merge Kawerau Intermediate and Kawerau College, as well as amalgamating three primary schools to one.

Kawerau Intermediate principal Daryl Aim says Kawerau Intermediate has fought hard to keep the school open, but all attempts have failed.

He says the only other option is to go to the High Court in a last ditch attempt.

The community met on Thursday night to discuss their next step and to gather support for another petition.

The intermediate and the college are due to become one dual purpose campus in 2013.