Generations of family members have attended Moanalua's elementary, middle and high schools and parents often volunteer even though their children have moved on, Arai said.

The school has a reputation for high academic achievement and award-winning teachers. Only about 15 percent of its pupils qualify for the free or reduced-price lunch program — a common measure of poverty — and that limits the number of federal grants the school can apply for, Arai said.

Last year when the school needed new math books to replace its 11-year-old texts, the Parent Teacher Association had tremendous community support and collected $50,000 in just a few months.

"The success of Moanalua in all areas is a result of the willingness of the parents to participate, said Lillian Okamura, a fifth-grade teacher who has been at the school for more than 30 years.

• What are you most proud of? The school's sense of belonging with the families in Moanalua Valley, Okamura said.

• Best-kept secret: There are rumors of ghosts on campus and stories about stones that are moved and keep coming back. "They are friendly (ghosts), not scary," Okamura said.

• Everybody at our school knows: Auntie Emma Regina, a custodian and former parent. "She is so loving to the kids," Arai said.

• Our biggest challenge: Meeting the Hawai'i State Assessment standardized testing goals. "For a school like Moanalua, where we do have high-achieving scores, we are still required to have yearly progress," Okamura said. "For the teachers, it's an awesome task."

• What we need: A school-wide renovation of the 44-year-old buildings; the project was planned for April but has been postponed by the state, Arai said.

• Projects: The school has formed a partnership with nearby Tripler Army Medical Center. The pupils take field trips to the hospital and make Christmas gifts for patients and decorate the wards. The hospital sponsors an annual health fair at the school.

• Special events: An annual fun fair in November.