Three charter school applicants got the green light Thursday from the state Public Charter School Commission to move ahead with plans for new schools on Oahu and Kauai. The commission, meanwhile, rejected four other applications.
Commissioners approved the applications for Alaka‘i o Kaua‘i Charter School, Kamalani Academy and Kapolei Charter School. The proposed schools now enter a pre-opening phase and will likely begin operations for the 2017-18 school year.
The applications for Accelerated Learning Laboratory-Hawaii, DreamHouse Ewa Beach, IMAG Academy and Kilohana Academy were denied. The commission, which has a statutory mission “to authorize high-quality public charter schools throughout the state,” encouraged the applicants to rework their proposals and come back for consideration.
Evaluation panels consisting of commission staff and volunteer experts had judged each of the applications on criteria in four areas — academic plan, financial plan, organizational plan and evidence of capacity — to come up with overall recommendations that were vetted by the commission’s Application Committee.
The three proposed schools would join the state’s 34 charter schools, which currently enroll more than 10,400 students. Charter schools are largely funded with taxpayer dollars through per-pupil funding (approximately $6,850 per student this school year). The schools, which report to their own governing boards, are independently run under contracts with the commission.
Here’s a look at the three schools that received approvals:
>> Alaka‘i o Kaua‘i
The proposed school will serve East Kauai with “a progressive, innovative curriculum that prepares students for a successful future,” using project- based learning and interdisciplinary instruction. The school, which applied to the commission for a third time, would start out serving 165 students in kindergarten through fifth grade and eventually expand to serve 275 students in kindergarten through grade 6 by its fifth year.
“It takes a dedicated team to meet the rigorous challenge of opening a school,” said Kani Blackwell, one of the school’s organizers. “I am committed to fulfilling this great
opportunity for Kauai.”
Yvonne Lau, acting executive director for the Charter School Commission, noted that the group met criteria in all four areas. She said the group’s academic plan incorporated academic rigor and a focus on whole-child learning, “offering a real choice for our students on Kauai.”
The school’s previous application was criticized in part for its connection to iLEAD charters on the mainland, which commissioners saw as having a weak academic track
record.
“This is a group that has come back again and again, and we really appreciate your persistence and wish you well,” said Catherine Payne, chairwoman of the commission.
>> Kamalani Academy
The proposed school would serve Central Oahu with a planned location in Wahiawa for an initial 202 students in kindergarten through sixth grade before expanding to serve 306 students in kindergarten through grade 8 by its fifth year. The school, which applied for a second time, would provide a so-called arts integration approach to learning.
“We’ve worked really hard over the past two years towards the fulfilling of our Kamalani dream for Hawaii’s keiki,” said Kuuipo Laumatia, chairwoman of the school’s founding board. “We look forward to providing a high-quality educational alternative.”
Lau, the commission’s interim executive director, said the school’s application met criteria in all four categories. “Kamalani’s academic plan was particularly strong in its curriculum and instructional design,” Lau told the commission. “The evaluation team found that the applicant presented an organizational plan that described sound management and facilities plans with detailed and realistic targets.”
>> Kapolei Charter School
The nonprofit Goodwill Industries of Hawaii plans to open a charter school in Kapolei to help at-risk students earn a high school diploma “while providing enriching wrap-around services to help them navigate challenges and overcome barriers, allowing them to reach academic success.”
The school projects initial enrollment of 100 students in high school grades and 300 students by its fifth year. The nonprofit already works with about 300 youths annually to obtain their GED, or General Educational Development, high school equivalency diploma.
The evaluation team had raised concerns about the applicant’s academic plan because it’s modeled after Goodwill programs used on the mainland for adult education and older students who have dropped out of school and has yet to be proven for high school students.
“With our long history of service and standing up and operating quality programs for our community, it demonstrates our organizational capacity to be successful with a charter school,” said Laura Smith, president and CEO of Goodwill Hawaii. “We feel that our academic curriculum, which is combined with our model to provide wrap-around services such as life coaches and career exploration for students, will help students to be engaged and have a well-rounded learning experience leading to successful high school graduation.”
