The Board of Whangarei Boys' High School has been ordered to pay more than half a million dollars - over the death of a student

Karnin Petera drowned in floodwaters at Abbey Caves in May last year - 16 other students and two supervisors survived.

His parents expressed concerns about the weather multiple times before the trip - but it went ahead.

WorkSafe says the tragedy was preventable and it's uncovered multiple failures with the school's risk assessment process, oversight and emergency planning.

The board's been sentenced at the Whangarei District Court and ordered to pay more than 500 thousand dollar reparations.