Trustee Message: E Ola Ka Pua! KS Seeking New Site for Learning Community

July 1, 2011

Contributed by Thomas Yoshida

It is time for us to move on. We have informed Mr. Stone that we have concluded our involvement with him over this piece of property.

While we are frustrated at the time lost, we are still determined to build facilities that will support our larger educational initiative - Ka Pua – that we have been implementing with Wai'anae Coast schools and other service providers over the last two years. It is important to note that the Mākaha site was only being considered because it was being offered as a gift and as part of a partnership with DHHL. That specific site is not critical to the success of Ka Pua. In fact, long before a site in Mākaha was mentioned, we had investigated potential sites for our learning community on the Wai'anae Coast, and over the last week we have received suggestions about additional parcels of land that may be available between Kapolei and Ka'ena Point.

In all of this, what concerns us most is that this snag, which affects only one piece of the overall Ka Pua vision, has caused some in our community to doubt our commitment to the haumāna and families of the Wai'anae Coast. Nothing could be further from the truth.

There are 3 main components to Ka Pua: 1) The P-20 Continuum, which involves building and supporting a pre-natal-to-college learning progression within each public school complex on the Leeward Coast; 2) The Innovation Zone, which connects social service providers - like health, education, housing and other services - across the Coast to improve the well-being of keiki and families, and 3) Kamehameha Schools' Learning Community – facilities to support and expand other educational programs on the Coast.

We are well underway with the first component, the P-20 Continuum, through our support of the Coast's community schools, including:

• Implementation of the early childhood P-3 initiative
• Literacy support and coaching in the elementary and middle schools
• Leadership, instruction, and accreditation support for both charter schools on the Coast
• Daily after school learning and engagement at both DOE middle schools on the Coast
• Year Two in the high school transformation plan around student-centered, project-based learning at the two New Tech Academies at Nānākuli and Wai'anae high schools.
• Active participation in Race to the Top planning and implementation
• Integrated opportunities for 'äina-based learning, internships, and college and career readiness

We will also continue to support our Leeward keiki and 'ohana and the good work of other community providers who steward education, land, health and other services on the Coast as the Innovation Zone takes shape. And now, given recent events, we will begin working with community providers and others from the Wai'anae Coast, including DHHL, to design and define the best location – or even multiple locations – for the third component of this vision, the Learning Community. It is our great blessing to work alongside collaborators with such a passionate commitment to their community, who appreciate our mission and share our values.

In the coming days, it is likely that the media will carry news about this latest development. Please know that Kamehameha Schools' commitment to and vision for the Leeward Coast has not changed. Nothing to date compromises our commitment to realizing the full vision of Ka Pua; our commitment to the people of the Leeward Coast is solid.

Me ka ha'aha'a,

Corbett Kalama, Chair
Board of Trustees