There may be no easy answer to the surging rolls of some Auckland schools.

Auckland Grammar and Epsom Girls' Grammar face major challenges accommodating extra students from the construction of new apartment buildings.

More 1800 apartments are being built in the Auckland Grammar zone in the next three years, and 600 of them also in the Epsom Girls' Grammar zone

Planning rule changes could see even more intensification in future years.

Epsom Girl's principal Madeline Gunn said the school is very concerned about future growth within the zone due to higher-density living.

She said they don't have the funding or buildings for rapid roll growth.

Some west Auckland schools are also installing prefabricated classrooms on sports fields and netball courts to accommodate massive roll growth.

At least 2000 more homes are about to be built at New Lynn.

Ministry of Education spokeswoman Katrina Casey said the ministry will spend $350 million expanding existing schools and building new ones over the next four years.

"Over the next 18 months we will be building more than 230 new classrooms and by 2018 there are expected to be nine new schools."

She said the Government is also spending $100 million building modern multi-purpose, transportable classrooms as a quick response to roll growth.

"The mobile classrooms will be built to the same minimum standard as permanent school buildings, making them suitable as temporary or long-term space solutions."

Casey said enrolment zones will continue to be used to manage potential overcrowding.

"They enable a school board to manage its roll growth and can have an immediate impact on any likely overcrowding.

"An enrolment scheme is also a very effective tool which helps us manage capacity across a network of schools so the best use of classroom space can be made."

She said the Ministry will fund some extra schools around the city, as and when they're required.

PPTA president Angela Roberts said many of the problems facing high-profile schools could be eased if local people went to local schools.

But she said competition between schools means many parents think of their local school as a second-class option.

Ms Roberts said where schools do face surging rolls, simply adding more high-quality prefab classrooms is not a viable long-term solution.