Hamamoto to step down as Saint Louis School principal

Patricia Hamamoto will retire from her post as principal of Saint Louis School at the end of the month, school officials announced Wednesday.

Before taking on the post about four years ago, Hamamoto had served more than three decades in Hawaii’s public school system — the last eight years as superintendent of schools.

Martha Haia Evans, vice principal for academics at Saint Louis, will begin serving as principal next month, at the beginning of the second semester.

In a news release issued Wednesday afternoon, Hamamoto said, "I am 100 percent confident that Martha and the team can take Saint Louis successfully into the future."

Walter Kirimitsu, president of the 167-year-old all-boys academy, said in the release, "We are sorry to see Pat leave and thank her for dedicated service to Saint Louis School and our students. We wish her our best. Rest assured that we have a transition plan in place and expect minimal disruption."

Hamamoto was named as the school’s principal six weeks after leaving her post as chief of Hawaii’s public school system on New Year’s Eve 2009, citing personal reasons. Her resignation and retirement came as the public school system was contending with daunting budget cuts that led to furloughs of school teachers and the shortest instructional calendar in the country.

School installs rooftop PV array

St. Theresa School in Kekaha, Kauai, has installed a $55,000, 15-kilowatt photovoltaic array on its roof thanks to a grant arranged through the Kekaha Host Community Benefits program.

The system is expected to generate 75 percent of the school’s energy needs, Kauai County said in a news release. The system will also provide learning opportunities for the students, who will monitor its energy production and consumption in the school’s computer classroom.