Schools

[The Ted]

Aloha Puna webbers.
I am buying a home in Nanawale and moving by Summers end. My son will be in seventh grade. We have home schooled him for the last two years, but are excited to get him back into public schooling.
We have applied to HAAS, and as of yet havent heard back. Also had a nice conversation with the Waters of Life school. We would really like to get him into a charter school as we have heard some great things about the charter schools here in Hawaii. We are also considering Connections, or Kua O Ka La. We have heard some horror stories about general public schools, but know that there are at least two sides to every story. I know there are other threads referring to this topic, but they are quite dated. Just looking for some input. I really want my boy to be able to transition easily from the mainland, any input would be welcomed greatly.
Mahalo

Be Now
Aloha

[csgray]

Due to changes in Hawaii laws governing public charter schools all the charter schools will soon be forced to go to a lottery system for allocating places. Anyone who has not been placed in a class by that date (maybe July 1) will be put in the lottery and given a number, no matter how long they have been on a waiting list or were they are on the list. Many parents put their applications in at all the schools they are interested in, and take whatever has an opening first, now they will instead have a lottery number for each school.

Hawaii has a very different school calendar than the mainland, school here starts August 5th for DOE students, some charter schools start even earlier, so you want to make sure you get your ducks in a row soon. Good luck finding a good match for your child.

Carol

[unknownjulie]

I want to encourage you not to worry too much about the negative stuff you read! I brought an incoming 7th grader here and he adjusted just fine. He says there is less bullying here than in the "good school district" in Texas that he transferred from. I dont have opinions about the charter schools, since all my kids go to public schools, but not in Pahoa. We live in Hilo. Dayna's daughter is doing great in Keaau HS also. Pahoa is a bit rougher, but if you come from the country, where you hunt, and fish, then I dont think the transition will be that difficult. The thick accent down in Pahoa will take your son a bit of time to get used to, but it's all relative. Kids are so adaptable. GL! Where are you moving from?

[The Ted]

Mahalo Carol and Julie for your responses.

My son is my highest priority, making sure he is healthy and happy is very important to me. Good to know of your positive experience, it is reassuring. We are moving from Central Washington State btw.
Wondering, if we don't get into a charter school, will my boy have to go to Pahoa, or can he enroll in Keaau? kinda hard to decipher the School systems website.

Really looking forward to this new adventure.

Be Now
Aloha

[csgray]

Hawaii is unique because the entire state is one district, run out of Honolulu. Neighbor Islands are sometimes treated like an afterthought and there is very little of the kind of local control seen on the mainland.

Pahoa is the neighborhood school for Nanawale so that is the one school that "has" to take your son, you can apply for a geographic exemption for a school that is not your "home school" but I don't know how they allocate those exemptions. Not everyone who applies gets the exemption, for HS there is something about programs not offered at your neighborhood school (like ROTC) but you should call the complex office in Keaau or Hilo and ask how it works.

Carol

[unknownjulie]

That I dont know. You should call the Keaau middle school and ask tomorrow. School is already out here, and the kids go back the beginning of August. Summer vacation is a bit shorter here, but they have a winter break, as well as spring break here. Ask about a geographic exemption, but I honestly dont know if Keaau is a lot better than Pahoa. I have heard it might be, but I dont have personal experience. Hopefully, someone else can advise you more. Nanawale is really too far to drive to Hilo for schools- unless somehow you work there. Where are you going to be working?

[Carey]

Just a note, call on Tuesday this week...as Monday is Memorial day, and you probably will not get anyone answering the phone...

There are also ways around the geography...but there is also the problem of from home to school, Keaau is a bit of a daily drive, unless you are doing it already (sometimes the Keaau bottleneck at 130 is bear when school is released...

There are buses, but the school bus system has had some ....complications. The HeleOn bus does run from Nanawale through to Keaau & then into Hilo...and does work out for some students (it is currently free for students, but that may change by fall semester...)

I have heard good & bad about both the public DOE & Charter schools & have worked in & for many in East Hawaii. All the schools I have worked with have had some issues that could be worked on, some absolutely spectacular staff, some staff that is totally lacking...

All the schools I have been in have a majority of the staff working to provide a positive education experience for their students. All of the schools here have done much better at diffusing some of the more touchy issues that have come up, and all have room to improve.

One thing to note here, the Public Charter schools are normally allocated less $$ for students & must also pay for their facilities out of their student allocation funds, so the public DOE schools should have more $$ for schooling, and a separate budget for facilities, which has lead to more interesting school facilities for the public charter schools. This can be a positive for some students, but can also be a negative for other students...

You may not realize that Keaau Inter. is the oldest of the Keaau schools, and does lack a lot of the newer fancier looking facilities of the El & HS... so that facility is more equal to the other options (Charter & Pahoa)...It also does have a large construction project that has been on-going for over a year now...with open window buildings....

[unknownjulie]

Good point about Keaau Middle School. Part of the buildings are currently condemned and empty, due to a termite infestation and are awaiting teardown. The science building is supposed to be finished in a year and they are making good progress.

[Wuzzerdad]

I hear sad commentary about the public schools in Hawaii, and cringe. We no longer have any school age children, and my oldest Grandaughter is Graduating from High School. But...and there is always a but...My youngest Grandaughter may have to come and live with us, she is almost 7, which is fine with us, actually great with us, and she will become a Hawaii girl. I suppose public school in Hawaii is going to have to be fine for her. I really don't believe all the negative talk, it has more to do with the kids and parents than the schools. I will become active in whatever school district we are attached to regardless, since our tax dollars support them and I want to see them spent the best way possible.

Imagine being young and going to school in Paradise, with all it's distractions. Seems most turn out fine in spite of what everybody says...

I started out with nothing and I still have most of it.
Mahalo
Rick

[The Ted]

Thank you for all the input. No matter where one moves there are new things to adjust to.
I’m sure it will work out no matter where he ends up, there are bumps in the road at all schools everywhere, And from our experiences ( wife has volunteered as teachers aid for a few years ) all schools have some mix of wonderful teachers and staff and teachers and staff that are not so great. I don’t think it’s possible anywhere to find a school that doesn’t have its share of issues.
I read about the geographic exceptions on the DOE website and they must be submitted before end of April for the following year from what I understand. Also there are "school choice transfers" under the NCLB act; however that too is in a state of flux here and in Hawaii. I have been able to locate the last 2 years of school reports for Pahoa but none for this year. But as of last year kids can be transferred based on failure to meet AYP for Pahoa inter/High to other schools that are making more progress. But I believe the school they transfer to must be making AYP or on their way to reaching that goal.
Have gotten a hold of someone at Volcano Charter and am waiting to hear back from Connections but will call on Tuesday
I guess will just have to see how it all works out.


Be Now
Aloha