A High Court ruling has ended any hopes of stopping a merger between Kawerau Intermediate and Kawerau College.

Kawerau Intermediate School's board of trustees went to the High Court as a last ditch effort to prevent the merger going ahead.

Principal Daryl Aim says they were fighting for the school because the merger is not the option the community chose.

At the beginning of 2010, then Education Minister Anne Tolley announced she was going to merge the schools in Kawerau due to dwindling 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 into one.

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

The court delivered its ruling on Wednesday and Daryl says he is disappointed with the decision.

He says it was probably the end of the fight but the board still has to discuss the ruling.