Kapolei waiting for gym facilities

By James Gonser
Advertiser Leeward Bureau

KAPOLEI — The No. 1 rule in physical education classes at Kapolei High School is — don't sweat.

The school has not had a gym or locker rooms — and consequently, showers — since it opened last year, and P.E. teachers have been reluctant to have students take part in activities that are, well, physical.

	Kapolei High School
•	Completed: The 46-acre campus has five completed buildings: the freshman classroom building, a media-library center, a music building, the cafeteria and the administration building. The baseball and softball fields and tennis and basketball courts are open.
•	Under way: Construction on the sophomore building.
•	Future: Junior and senior class buildings, the locker rooms and gym, the football and soccer stadium, the woodshop building, student parking and an auditorium.

"They can't even go out there and play the game. That is the hard part about it," said Kapolei athletic director Elden Esmeralda. "Most of what we can teach is philosophy of the game. We might teach fundamentals of a sport like baseball and then on a Friday afternoon they could play a game," he said.

Otherwise, "When you've got kids who have to stay in school until 3 o'clock and are taking P.E. in the first class in the morning, I don't think that would be very healthy for everybody."

Lawmakers budgeted $18.4 million for the continued construction of Kapolei High, and the third classroom building designated for the junior class will be built as scheduled.

While that amount falls $3.6 million short of the money needed to complete the school's athletic facility, lawmakers said, overall, the school did well this legislative session. Parents and teachers seemed to agree and said they'll make the best of the situation.

The state Department of Education had requested $22 million this session and $22 million next session to complete Hawai'i's newest high school, which opened to its first class of 370 students in July 2000.

"Because we don't have the full $22 million, that limits us from putting up our gym and locker rooms," principal Alvin Nagasako said. "Hopefully the next go-around we'll get a little bit more."

A classroom building for the sophomore class is nearing completion and will open with the new school session this fall. Plans are to add a new grade level each year until there is a complete freshman-to-senior range of students.

Nagasako said this year's financing will also pay for building an access road behind the campus.

The high school was lucky compared with the Kapolei library, which did not receive financing from the Legislature to staff and furnish the new building, said state Librarian Virginia Lowell.

The Legislature deleted a $3.1 million request from the Hawai'i State Public Library System for the second phase of the project. It also did not approve the $1 million in construction money needed to finish Phase 1 of the library and it did not appropriate the $11 million needed to build Phase 2.

Sen. Colleen Hanabusa D-21st (Kalaeloa, Makaha) said with only $45 million in capital improvement project money available this year, Kapolei High did very well.

"The $18 million is the amount the developer said they need to get the 11th-grade classrooms built," Hanabusa said. "That will keep it going. It is a state-of-the-art school and when you are facing a budget like ours, we can't do everything. The bottom line is the next grade will go forward."

The Makakilo/Kapolei/Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board has had concerns about the financing of Kapolei High and mounted a letter-writing campaign to legislators in March.

The Legislature's appropriation "doesn't meet the goal of completing what a high school should be, but we are still optimistic," said board chairwoman Maeda Timson. "The big concern was that we did not want to relocate our kids out of school. That was first and foremost — to keep our children going to school in their community. So the most important thing has been accomplished."

Sen. Brian Kanno D-20th ('Ewa Beach, Makakilo, Kapolei) said a school is more than just a classroom.

"Giving the money this year shows the Legislature's commitment to keeping the school functioning and serving the community," Kanno said. "The question is next year are we going to get enough for just the senior class building or enough for the athletic facilities? It is a real handicap for the school."

Meanwhile, athletic director Esmeralda said the school's P.E. teachers will have to develop a curriculum to get them through the next year and a half without showers.

"We will do things that teach teamwork and instill skills and coordination," Esmeralda said.

Members of the school's sports teams will still have to cope the best they can, showering at home after practices and games and even using rented portable bathrooms for some home events.

"We'll do what we've got to do out here," Esmeralda said.