 By 1930, however, the school faced considerable hurdles to keep going.A decline in enrolments occurred between 1930 and 1934, such that membership numbers, approximately 55 in 1929, had declined to 24 in the second term of 1932, Deane struggled to keep the school alive, and in desperation lowered boarding fees to a pound a day, and making ends meet by growing his own food.By 1933 enrolments had grown to 45, but there was a backlog of debt that was built up from the school during that troublesome period.