Posted on: Thursday, October 24, 2002

New foundation to support charter school conversions

By Jennifer Hiller
Advertiser Education Writer

A new nonprofit educational organization has announced it will work to transform public schools into conversion charter schools.

The Ho'okako'o Corp. was formed in response to recently passed legislation that allows nonprofit foundations to help run conversion charter schools. No such conversion charter schools exist yet in Hawai'i, although Kamehameha Schools is looking into converting campuses with high numbers of Hawaiian students.

The Ho'okako'o Corp. hopes to support two conversion charter schools and one or two preschools within its first year of operation, said Keith Vieira, chairman of the board for Ho'okako'o.

Vieira said the Ho'okako'o Corp. will help "to improve the quality of education being offered to Hawai'i's children."

"Numerous community leaders and organizations realized that an important step in this process was helping schools become charter schools," he said. "One of the key issues identified has been the need for greater community and parental involvement and decision-making in our schools."

When Gov. Ben Cayetano signed the act into law in April, it was seen as a way to allow Kamehameha Schools to take over some needy campuses with large numbers of Hawaiian students and give those campuses an infusion of outside money.

The act allows for 23 public schools to convert to charters. A nonprofit foundation coming into a campus would have to add $1 to every $4 that the Department of Education spends there.

Before a foundation could work with a school, its faculty, administrators and parents would have to vote in favor of becoming a conversion charter school. They would retain control over programs.