Nine charter schools look set to survive after winning ministerial approval to convert to state or integrated schools, but three others have been left waiting for a decision.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins has approved conversion to state school status with designated character from January 2019 for the two charter schools in Whangarei, Sir Michael Jones's Pacific Advance Secondary School in Ōtāhuhu, Te Kōpuku High School in Hamilton, Te Rangihakahaka Centre for Science and Technology in Rotorua and Te Aratika Academy near Hastings.

Vanguard Military Academy at Albany was also granted designated character state school status in May.

Today's decisions also include approval of the first stage of negotiations for Māngere-based Te Kura Māori o Waatea and a proposed Waatea High School, and a proposed new school Tūranga Tangata Rite in Gisborne, to become state-integrated schools.

But three other charter schools - South Auckland Middle School, Middle School West Auckland and Sita Selupe's Rise Up Academy in Māngere - have been left in limbo.

A founder of the two middle schools, Alwyn Poole, said on Sunday that he had made little progress in negotiating a transition to state school status.

"At this point the process has only been one formal meeting with the ministry (February 13)," he wrote in an email to supporters.

"The ministry has not been prepared to share the advice they have given to the minister but he has not asked for any additional information beyond our comprehensive applications so we trust that all is on track.

"Our students and their families - and 60 employees - have certainly been on tenterhooks - so we are very much looking forward to and end to the uncertainty!"

Hipkins said decisions about the two middle schools and Rise Up Academy would be made "as soon as possible".

"I have sought further information from the sponsor of [the two middle schools], and work is needed on property options for the remaining application. The applicants for these three schools have met all other criteria for becoming a designated character school," he said.

Hipkins has appointed establishment boards of trustees for the new state schools approved so far, including members of each charter school's governance board "to provide continuity and support its character".

He said it would take time to finalise the applications for state-integrated status for the two Waatea schools, which hope to become a composite Year 1 to 13 school, and the Gisborne school.

"I expect to make final decisions on the two state integrated and three designated character schools in September, but have asked the ministry to try and ensure this happens earlier if possible," he said.

"This is still enough time for the new schools to open in 2019."

Almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of the 1300 students in charter schools are Māori and another 27 per cent are Pasifika.

Māori educationalists Sir Toby Curtis and Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi have lodged a claim with the Waitangi Tribunal alleging that closing the schools as charter schools will have a disproportionately detrimental effect on Māori.