Jan. 27, 2015

Contributed by Pakalani Bello

A screening of 55 applicants for the KS Kapālama High School po‘o kumu (principal) position yielded 33 qualified candidates. The search for the successor to retiring poʻo kula Julian Ako began late last year.

The candidates were selected not only using the formal criteria for the position, but also qualifications suggested by stakeholder focus groups last fall.

KS Kapālama Po‘o Kula (Head of School) Earl Kim assembled the groups – which included staff, students and alumni – to ensure that the KS ‘ohana had a say in the principal’s selection.

The group of qualified candidates includes a nearly 50-50 split between in-state and out-of-state applicants. Candidates selected as semifinalists will be interviewed by a stakeholder panel, and finalist interviews will take place in February.

In an effort to ensure that the nomination process was as inclusive and transparent as possible, KS employees and alumni were invited to nominate candidates. Through that process, 21 people were nominated, 12 of whom applied for the position.

The selection process remains on track to have the new poʻo kula named by early April.