Kanuikapono Public Charter School hosts forum to raise awareness

  Kanuikapono Public Charter School in Anahola hosted a community forum last week to raise awareness of the value and contribution of charter schools. This year Hawai‘i Legislature will be considering a number of bills introduced regarding funding and oversight of the state’s charter schools. The event was well-attended by supporters and community members, elders, students and children, as well as such dignitaries as Senator Gary Hooser, Representative Hermina Morita, Representative Roland Sagum and Superintendent William Arakaki.

Representatives of Kamehameha Schools, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and other organizations were also in attendance. Other charter schools from Kaua‘i participated too.

With further budget cuts proposed for education, charter schools in Hawai‘i face an uncertain future. The state of Hawai‘i currently has approximately 31 charter schools whose enrollment is rapidly increasing in high numbers. Kaua‘i currently has four charter schools, and only one charter school to serve the northern population of the island.

Why charter schools are not funded equally with traditional public schools remains the most pressing question for this year’s Legislature. Traditionally, the student is earmarked for a certain amount of dollars that is awarded the school they choose to attend. Unfortunately, only a portion of those dollars follows the student who transfers to a charter school.

The statistics speak for themselves. Students in charter schools have a higher graduation rate, a higher attendance rate, perform better on their test scores and experience a high yield of learning.