Space crunch hampers schools

By Eloise Aguiar
Advertiser Staff Writer

A 22 percent increase in staff at Kapunahala Elementary in Kane'ohe has forced some students, teachers and other workers into converted closets, dressing rooms, even a patio, as the school struggles to find enough room to accommodate new programs deemed essential largely by the federal court.

School employees crowd into a teacher's lounge converted into temporary office space at Kapunahala Elementary School. Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser

The library has been carved up to include a math enrichment classroom, an English as a second language classroom and the teacher's work room. In some cases, two classes are forced to share the same room at the same time.

Kapunahala isn't alone.

A space crunch has hit public schools across the state as they add staff and services, many mandated by the federal Felix consent decree or the Legislature.

School-based behavior health specialist. Facility planner. Student service coordinator. Primary School Adjustment Program. These are just a few of the new positions and programs added in recent years.

The previous vice principal at Kapunahala said crowding is getting to the point that it could be a problem.

For example, split classrooms — in which two classes meet in the same room — are difficult for teachers and students, said Valerie Okihara, now principal at Kainalu Elementary in Kailua.

"It's not an optimal learning condition for the kids," Okihara said. "I'm sure this year over there is very stressful."

The severity of the crunch varies from school to school, but is worst in old facilities that were at, or over, capacity to begin with.

Many schools said they have taken some of the same steps as Kapunahala, and some have had to go beyond that.

• Kauluwela Elementary in Liliha has had to move its counselors into the library work room and its computer program into the library, taking up half of its space. The school also employs split classrooms.

• La'ie Elementary is housing a therapeutic classroom on its campus that all elementary schools in its complex will use. But that means bringing students from other schools to the La'ie campus.

• Kainalu Elementary in Kailua is using classrooms for office space for its support staff, but officials say that spreads staff all over campus and makes it difficult to coordinate the specialists that deal with the children.

• Lahainaluna High on Maui has made offices out of four storage rooms, a lobby, a conference room and another office. Two teachers' lounges are used for a career counseling center and for the school resource officer. One of the school's teachers is a floater, going from room to room to teach.

Although the DOE and the Legislature have been giving schools the personnel they need to improve education, facilities are not part of the package.

In one of the most far-reaching initiatives of the federal Felix Consent Decree to improve special education, services that had been delivered by the Department of Health are now officially in the hands of the schools.

In the past five years, the DOE has increased its team of special education teachers, psychologists, social workers and behavioral health specialists from 2,600 to 6,400.

The DOE's budget doesn't allow it enough to give it all it needs for salaries, maintenance, programs and staffing, let alone new facilities, said Alan Honma, a planner for DOE Facilities and Support Services. New support facilities are last on the priority list, Honma said.

"Our basic premise is to build classrooms for classroom use to meet the needs of regular ed and special ed students, and not so much for additional staff," he said.

District superintendents said schools are making room for the support personnel to ensure they don't miss out on the resources and programs, but they may still have to consider renting space off campus or sharing their space with other schools.

Raeleen Chock, Honolulu district superintendent, said she is asking schools to share space, to use it more efficiently and in some cases to squeeze another body into an office.

"In this district we may want to rent areas for people who don't need to be close to the school," Chock said, adding that building portable structures is another possibility.

As new schools are built, they are designed to accommodate the new programs and support personnel, said Gary Griffiths, Central District superintendent. But for the most part, older schools like Kapunahala — built in 1962 — have had to shuffle to meet the new demand for space.

"Most schools are 10 to 50 years old, and 50 years ago there was no consideration to any child who had a special need," Griffiths said.

Griffiths said he's confident that children's education isn't suffering from the space shortage. A good teacher can teach under a tree, he said.

"I think it's the quality of instruction, not necessarily the configuration, that makes a difference," Griffiths said.

Windward District Superintendent Lea Albert said many of her schools are short on space and must make adjustments. But each district is getting help through a facility planner and each school has a master plan to remodel and expand.

"Then it boils down to the old issue of funding," Albert said, adding that schools will not turn down resources that help children learn. "In the meantime, great creativity is used to find solutions to house personnel."

Officials at Kapunahala say they don't begrudge the crowded conditions because the new resources, services and programs are a boost to education and help ensure learning.

"If it's good for the school we will find a corner or a closet to put them in," said Ruby Hiraishi, acting principal at Kapunahala. "(Finding space) is a good problem."

Kapunahala has received eight new support people in the last two years.

In December, the school will cover a patio courtyard to convert it into a work space for the Parent/School Partnership program, which funnels hundreds of volunteers into the classroom to support teachers.

The tarp-covered patio is now used for meetings, workshops or for group counseling.

Kapunahala parents, who are helping to renovate the school and create room, aren't sure how much more space can be squeezed out of the school without affecting the quality of education.

Recently a trailer was brought to campus to house counseling services.

Kane'ohe may need a new school, or portable buildings could be installed, said Maleen Kitagawa, president of the Kapunahala Ohana parents group.

"There's going to be a point where you can't expand, and trailers are not going to cut it," Kitagawa said.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com or 234-5266.