Posted on: Monday, October 15, 2001

Editorial
Lab School's mission, finances get a lift

The University of Hawai'i Laboratory School embarks on a new era now that it has been designated as one of the state's "New Century" charter schools.

Importantly for the Lab School, charter school status, approved by Gov. Ben Cayetano recently, cements the school's rocky financial situation by providing firm per-student financing from the state. The school — associated with the UH School of Education — had been hit especially hard by UH's budget problems.

This new financial stability is good not only for the parents who have raised and donated money to keep the campus open, but for UH and the state.

The UH Lab School has won national and international acclaim for its curriculum development and testing. It is further a tribute to the school that admission to the Manoa campus is highly coveted.

As a charter school, the Lab School will begin accepting special education students. Lab School students are chosen so there will be a socioeconomic , ethnic and academic mix of students in the same classroom. The lack of special education students has been a glaring omission since special education students now make up 25 percent of the state's general student population.

This will provide an opportunity for UH and the Lab School to do even more good for the education community and the state by providing a laboratory that will train vitally needed teachers and create a curricula adapted to the needs of special education students.