OUR SCHOOLS: PÄHOA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Where: 15-3030 Puna Rd., Pahoa, Hawai'i District

Grade span: kindergarten through sixth grade

Enrollment: 364 students

Race/ethnicity enrollment: Part-Hawaiian, 29 percent; white, 21 percent; Filipino, 14 percent; Hawaiian, 13 percent; other, 23 percent.

Free and reduced-price lunch eligible: 73 percent of students

Special-education students: 12 percent

Computers on campus: Two computer labs and each classroom has one computer for student access and every teacher has computer access in the classroom.

Principal: Marilyn Quaccia

School nickname: Na Ali'i, the leaders

School colors: Gold and red

What are you most proud of? "Besides our ethnic diversity, one of our teachers has successfully worked with each grade level for the past several years to plant a community garden on our campus," Quaccia said. "This project brings parents and community members together, as well as all of our students. The local businesses donate seeds, fertilizer and tools and each teacher works with students to decide what to plant — vegetables or flowers. The agriculture students at the high school, down the street from our school, come and work with our students, teaching them how to improve the soil and other elements of growing a garden."

What is your biggest challenge? "After several years of meeting our Annual Yearly Progress, the school recently fell into the No Child Left Behind federal status of "In Good Standing- conditional," Quaccia said. "We have many challenges ahead. Our school's vision of E kulia, I ka po'okela, or Striving for Excellence for Everyone, along with our mission to stand hand-in-hand together and to provide a quality, standards-based education and guidance program for all students, will ensure equal opportunities for all. We have a goal to instill a common belief by all stakeholders that our students are capable of high achievement."

Special events: Student recognition luncheons, regular award assemblies to recognize academic and behavioral excellence among our student body, school-wide talent show, monthly family reading nights and annual Ho'olaulea and Ho'ike celebrations.

History: A kindergarten-12th grade Pahoa School split in 1993 into an elementary school and an intermediate/high school. The school serves seven major subdivisions in a rapidly growing rural community.

Web address: www.k12.hi.us/~pahoael

Phone: 808-965-2141