Strike makes summer school a hot item

By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser East Honolulu Bureau

Interest in summer school has surged as concerned parents try to make sure their children don't suffer from the 14 days of class lost because of the recent teachers strike.

Gary Horimoto helps his daughter Charisse, a 10th-grader from Pearl City High School, apply for a history class at summer school at Moanalua High School. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

And still there is a flood of phone calls coming in.

Administrators from Hawai'i Kai to Wai'anae predict their summer sessions will be full or overflowing.

"We're getting 20 calls a day from people inquiring about summer school," said Bart Nakamoto, summer school coordinator for the 'Aiea Complex. "We're getting bombarded with calls."

Registration is normally a busy time, Nakamoto said, but the volume is higher this year because of the strike.

Parent Cheryl Ishii normally sends her daughter to summer school.

This year, summer classes are even more important because of the three weeks her daughter missed at Noelani Elementary School while the state negotiated with striking teachers, she said.

"Even though she did work at home, that is three weeks of school missed," Ishii said. "I know the teachers are doing their best to catch up. (But) it's a long time to be away from school."

Dennis Kato, Helemano principal and Central District coordinator for summer school, confirmed that parents are concerned over the lost class time.

"It seems this year we have parents seeking summer school for their students and the reason is the strike," said Kato. "We've asked the school sites to be flexible and to extend the deadline and accept more students."

•	For information about summer school, check with your school. Or go to the DOE Web site at www.k12.hi.us and click on the summer school listing

Costs for the summer programs vary depending on courses and schools.

Two East Honolulu schools, Kahala and Hokulani, both filled up fast Saturday, the first day of registration at those schools, and both are taking names on a waiting list.

Principal Elmira Fukumoto said summer school classes were filled by 11 a.m. at Hokulani Elementary in the Manoa-Kaimuki area.

"We usually get a long line of people," Fukumoto said. "Normally we can cover everyone, but Kahala School was full, so we got the overrun."

Now the school is putting applicants' names on a waiting list and trying to find the teachers for additional classes.

Koko Head Elementary School in Hawai'i Kai has been inundated with calls from parents.

On Saturday, parents started lining up at 6:30 a.m. to register their children for summer school. Two hours later the line snaked past the cafeteria.

Because so many parents have called and are still calling, the school decided to offer more academic classes, said principal Cecilia Lum.

On Monday, more than 100 callers swamped the office staff, and now registration is being taken only before and after school.

"More parents are asking for curriculum rather than art and music and those kind of things," Lum said. "We will open additional classes if we have the interest."

Days after the strike ended, the office at Kaimuki Middle School was packed with parents wanting to sign their children up for summer school, said Patrick Nishi, summer school director.

Since then the interest has been steady, Nishi said.

"Normally we have 350 students, but I think we'll go over that," Nishi said. "It's been different than other years."

In Kane'ohe, registration doesn't begin until next week. But parents have been calling Castle High School for information and are concerned that their children may need to attend classes if they fail, said Elise Miura, summer school coordinator.

Advertiser staff writer Eloise Aguiar contributed to this report.