Grant allows charter conversion
By Kalani Wilhelm
Advertiser Staff Writer
Waimea Middle School on the Big Island has received a grant of $696,000, making it the state's first conversion charter school in several years and the first supported by the Ho'okako'o Corp., a nonprofit group established in 2002 to help foster excellence in education.
Waimea Middle was chosen from among 25 schools, said Ho'okako'o chairman Keith Vieira.
"You can say that they chose us and we chose them," Vieira said.
The money will be used to help reduce class sizes, improve the remedial reading curriculum, increase student literacy and widen parent and community involvement at a school that was removed from the "failing school list" in 2000.
A law passed last year paved the way for public schools to be converted to charters and financed in part by a nonprofit organization. The act will allow 23 public schools to convert to charters.
Ho'okako'o was formed in response to that legislation, with money provided by The Kamehameha Schools. The mission of Ho'okako'o is to improve academic standards in schools where at least one-third of enrollment is Native Hawaiian.
Principal Jon Znamierowski said Waimea Middle, which was established in 1916, would have never been approved without strong support from its parents and the community.
A board comprising parents, teachers and community members will be established to monitor Waimea Middle School's progress and encourage free communication and feedback.
As a public school, Waimea Middle will continue to abide by state and federal laws and continue to receive per-student financing, special-education services and facility funds, Vieira said.
Kamehameha Schools has committed to providing $1 for every $4 that the state Board of Education provides.
Ho'okako'o will not have any part in running the Waimea school or its curriculum, Vieira said.
Vieira said Ho'okako'o's goal is to have six conversion charter schools within two years.
The program is aimed at helping Title I or low-income schools and campuses, particularly where Kamehameha Schools does not have a presence. Other schools being considered include Kekaha Elementary on Kaua'i, Kaunakakai Elementary on Moloka'i, and Nanakuli Elementary on O'ahu.
