Waipahu Elementary School’s top administrator has been named this year’s Hawai‘i National Distinguished Principal by the Hawai‘i Elementary and Middle School Administrators Association.

Aaron Tominaga “has always embraced the leadership qualities that we value in our schools — having high integrity, and being able to communicate his vision and passion to his students, community, parents and stakeholders,” state schools interim Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in a news release.

Hayashi said Tominaga is “a catalyst for change, and always brings people together for the sake of helping the students.”

Tominaga received a $2,000 award from sponsors at HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union. He will be invited to an October event in Washington, D.C., where he will be recognized along with awardees from other states.

Tominaga has served as a state Department of Education principal for eight years. He oversees 950 students at Waipahu Elementary, where nearly half of the students are English- language learners and 95% are in economic brackets that make them eligible for free and reduced-price meals.

Tominaga is credited with building a comprehensive system to track and monitor student progress in English- language arts and math, the DOE said.

The system includes regular meetings between teachers and curriculum coaches, differentiated professional development for teachers and continual sharing of classroom data among educators. The effort led to a substantial reduction of “at-risk” students in both English and math from school year 2020-21 to 2021-22, the department said.

He attributes much of his success to the contributions of his school community. “All of us put in the work, time and heart to do what’s best for the students, and with everything going on right now, everyone really deserves to be recognized,” said Tominaga, who previously served as principal at Lehua Elementary and Pearl City High schools.

Maunawili Elementary Principal Nathan Maeda was recognized as a finalist for the Hawai‘i National Distinguished Principal award, and will receive a $500 award from HawaiiUSA Federal Credit Union.

Maeda is credited by the DOE for strengthening the school’s academic, behavioral and social-emotional support for students while fostering a positive school culture based on collaboration and shared leadership.