KONAWAENA SCHOOL

Where: 81-901 Onouli Road Kealakekua, Hawai'i

Grade span: Pre-kindergarten through sixth grade

Enrollment: 597 students

Race/ethnicity enrollment: Part-Hawaiian, 35 percent; Japanese, 13 percent; Hispanic, 7 percent; White, 6 percent, Other, 39 percent

Free and reduced-price lunch eligible: 59 percent

Special-education students: 55 students

Principal: Claire Yoshida

School nickname: Wildcats

School colors: Green and white

What are you most proud of? "At Konawaena Elementary School, our focus is on academics and citizenship to create a well-rounded individual," Yoshida said. "We believe it is important for students to be reading and doing mathematics at grade level. Konawaena is a Success School for All."

What is your biggest challenge? "Time and money," said Yoshida. "Interventions take time and require additional funds. Using the limited weighted student formula funds, the priority has been to provide the best instruction and support to students. Developing grade-level curriculum maps for the various content areas, acquiring new core programs, putting interventions in place for struggling learners takes additional time, effort, staffing and funds."

Special events: Turkey Trot, Christmas Craft Night, Newberry Quiz Bowl, May Day

History: In 1899, Konawaena School opened as an elementary school only. Eventually it became a kindergarten through 12th- grade school. In 1922, the school moved to the site where the middle school and high school are now located. At one time during the 1930s the school operated on a November through August calendar to allow students to help their parents harvest coffee. The calendar operated until 1968. The school moved to a new facility in 2000, about a block south of the original school.

Web address: Site under construction

Phone: 808-323-4555