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The Honolulu Advertiser

Updated at 12:21 p.m., Wednesday, September 26, 2007

3 organizations get money for charter school plans

By DENNIS CAMIRE
Advertiser Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON — Three organizations in Hawai'i have been awarded about $496,000 in federal grants to help plan, design and create new charter schools, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings announced today.

"By acting as laboratories for best practices, charter schools are helping to break apart the myth that some children can't learn, changing attitudes about education and getting great results for students," Spellings said.

  • Kona Pacific Public Charter School in Kealakekua plans to use its $164,105 grant for educating students in kindergarten through fifth grade in its first year of operation and eventually expand its classes through the 12th grade.

  • Hawai'i Technology Academy in 'Ewa Beach wants to use its $173,715 grant for a teaching system that combines face-to-face instruction with Web-conferencing and small group sessions in various locations. The academy expects to enroll 250 students in kindergarten through 10th grade during its first year and to expand to about 1,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade in two years.

  • The Hau'ula Public Charter School in Hau'ula plans to use its $158,500 grant to offer an education alternative to children from a community dealing with violence, poverty and high drug use. The program would include local Hawaiian culture and use traditional Hawaiian methods of teaching through mentoring and student-driven projects.

    The grants are part of $3.5 million in awards the Education Department made to 22 charter schools in Hawai'i, Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, North Carolina and New Hampshire.