Hawai'i 3R's to help nine schools
By Suzanne Roig
Advertiser Staff Writer
Nine schools will benefit from grants totaling $267,000 given by the Hawai'i 3R's program to help with repair and maintenance. It is the latest round of awards intended to help reduce the state's backlog of such work.
The most substantial project will be undertaken at Kailua Intermediate School, where Kane'ohe Marines will donate the muscle to demolish cabinets in the music room and a $20,000 grant from the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation will help pay for remodeling materials. The state Department of Accounting and General Services will oversee the work.
"This is by far the biggest project of note," said Anne-Maile Yamasaki, executive director of the Hawai'i 3R's project. "We haven't done any major renovation work of this magnitude before."
Projects at the other schools include painting, renovating light fixtures and partitions and repairing walkways.
Other schools receiving grant money in this round are Holomua Elementary, Kaimiloa Elementary, Kekaha Elementary on Kaua'i, Kihei Elementary on Maui, Lokelani Intermediate on Maui, Makakilo Elementary, Mililani High and Waiakeawaena Elementary on the Big Island.
In its two years of existence, Hawai'i 3R's has given $2.2 million to 59 schools around the state for repairs and maintenance. The mission of the program, established in 2001 by U.S. Sen. Dan Inouye, D-Hawai'i, is to help repair, remodel and restore Hawai'i's public schools in an effort to chip away at the estimated $560 million in backlogged repairs through partnerships with volunteers, private companies and federal grant money.
Working with state agencies, trade unions, businesses, the military, community leaders, parents, teachers and students, the goal is to match state, federal and private money with volunteerism — "sweat equity" — both skilled and unskilled, to reduce the backlog.
The state estimates the work from this latest round of awards using volunteers and donations to be worth $670,000.
Hawai'i 3R's will award grants to public schools that step forward with private contributions or professional volunteerism of equal or greater value to the requested grant amount. Grant awards are limited to $50,000 per application. For more information go to www.hawaii3rs.com. The next application deadline is Jan. 15.
Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com or 395-8831.
