Apr. 9, 2019
Contributed by Andrea Oka
Gov. David Ige appointed Kamehameha Schools West Hawai‘i Regional Director Kaimana Barcarse to the Hawaiʻi County seat on the Hawaiʻi State Board of Education. As a new member in this volunteer position, Barcarse will serve a three-year term through June 30, 2022.
In his role on the board, Barcarse will help shape and implement statewide education policy that positively affects Hawai‘i’s public school system –for the benefit of Native Hawaiians and all of Hawaiʻi.
A resident of Kona, Barcarse attended Waiakeawaena Elementary, Waiakea Intermediate and Waiakea High School and is the first in his family to earn a college degree. He credits a kumu in his youth who encouraged him to explore and pursue a summer high school to college enrichment program that inspired him to pursue higher education.
Barcarse received a bachelor’s degree in Hawaiian studies and a master’s degree in Hawaiian language and literature from the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.
Barcarse replaces Patricia Bergin and will join Kenneth Uemura and Bruce Voss who were both reappointed by Ige and have served on the board since 2016.