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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, May 14, 2003

Mid-Pac adds technology complex, elementary school

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Mid-Pacific Institute, known for its performing and visual arts programs, will now expand its repertoire to include science and technology — and elementary education.

The school will open its $12.5 million Math/Science/Technology Complex this fall, with construction on the three two-story buildings completed this month.

The complex will feature six math classes and eight science labs. One of the three buildings will house a 12,000-square-foot technology plaza that will include collaborative workstations for robotics, hydroponics and desktop publishing. It will also feature a state-of-the-art video/recording/editing studio.

The new buildings open up space on the ground floor of Wilcox Hall for an elementary school expected to start in Fall 2004.

Mid-Pacific entered a partnership with Epiphany Episcopal School this week. The small Kaimuki school will move onto Mid-Pacific's Manoa campus and become its elementary school component.

About 150 students and 20 faculty members are expected to move into Wilcox Hall once the remodeling is completed. Mid-Pacific will also open a pre-kindergarten program for 3- and 4-year-olds beginning next summer.

The merger will place Mid-Pacific among its private-school peers Punahou, Iolani and Kamehameha, which all offer kindergarten-through-high school education.

"Primarily, we feel we can do a better job educationally if we have the children younger," said Mid-Pacific president Joe Rice. "Right now we're getting kids from about 30 different schools across the state and from other countries. Their backgrounds vary greatly. ... We think we could do a better job and produce better graduates if we have them early."

Other reasons for the partnership include getting more parental involvement, having students develop an identity with the school and reducing recruiting costs, Rice said.

Founded in 1864, Mid-Pacific used to offer elementary education. But when the school moved to Manoa in 1908, it became just a high school. In the 1970s it added seventh and eighth grades, and four years ago the middle school expanded to include sixth grade.

"Research shows most parents would rather get their kids into a K-12 school," Rice said. "So it puts us in a better position if we could start earlier."

Mid-Pacific has 1,105 students. Epiphany will add 150 more.

Tuition for the new elementary school will remain the same as Epiphany's — $8,810 — though the middle and high schools will cost the current rate of $10,985. At some point, administrators hope to narrow the gap between tuitions, but Rice said that won't happen for a while.

Mid-Pacific will retain Epiphany's motto — "Children first" — for the elementary school.

"Epiphany has a philosophy of putting children first, and I personally believe in that philosophy of working with children as individuals, believing in their gifts and strengths and giving them opportunities to grow and develop in their own way," Rice said. "I thought it was a good match."

About one-third of new students to Mid-Pacific come from Epiphany, Rice said.

Reach Catherine E. Toth at 535-8103 or ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.