Letter to the Editor for Monday — December 01, 2003

• Projects are priority for Hara

Projects are priority for Hara

As you may recall, the Kilauea School’s cafeteria and Waimea High’s classroom projects were not included in the Department of Education (DOE) matrix which determines projects to be placed on the priority list for funding. This list was cut off at 25 projects. Kilauea’s cafeteria was listed as 35; Waimea’s classroom at 36.

As long ago as the 1980s when I was previously on the Board of Education, my walk-through of the schools at that time revealed that the cafeteria and classroom buildings were necessary. The demographic changes that were occurring would need to be addressed. Mr. Troutman’s comment in the Garden Island is correct in stating that this has been an ongoing, unsolved problem for Kilauea.

Kauai Complex Area Superintendent Daniel Hamada and I have been addressing this problem for the three years that I have now been on the Board. Knowing that it would not be included in the DOE budget, we went to see our legislators early this year to share our concerns. Our legislators all supported an appropriation for planning a new cafeteria for Kilauea and a classroom building for Waimea.

This appropriation represents the efforts of the Kilauea community, Kilauea School staff, Kauai District staff, Waimea community and Waimea School’s staff, and myself working together to bring change.

I know that the funding for this project has not yet been released by the Governor’s Office resulting in continued frustration and disappointment for us and the community.

I will continue to work with our legislators who are our funding body to make a new Kilauea School cafeteria and Waimea High classroom building a reality.

Everyone has done a commendable job in this effort. I commend everyone for joining hands in pursuit of our goals.

SHERWOOD HARA

Board of Education