Kani Blackwell hopes the third time is the charm for the approval of a new charter school on Kauai. Blackwell, acting chair for Alakai O Kauai Charter School, submitted an application to the Hawaii State Charter School Commission on Friday.
Kani Blackwell hopes the third time is the charm for the approval of a new charter school on Kauai.
Blackwell, acting chair for Alakai O Kauai Charter School, submitted an application to the Hawaii State Charter School Commission on Friday.
Previously known as iLEAD Kauai, it was twice turned down by the state.
“We are trying a third time because the need still exists for an additional school for Kauai,” Blackwell said.
The charter school has been gaining community support, she said.
“We have support from teachers who are working presently in our Department of Education schools, a few business owners, a few policy makers, government leaders and many parents,” Blackwell said.
If Alakai O Kauai is approved, officials hope to open a K-4 school in the fall of 2017. Operating costs for that year are estimated to be $1.3 million, Blackwell said.
While most of that will come from state funding, the school would have to raise about $150,000 for the start-up year.
Officials hope to receive donations from the community. Once approved, they can apply for grants and foundations, she added.
“When we open our doors, that is when we would actually receive state funding,” Blackwell said.
A location hasn’t been confirmed, but officials are looking at the Mount Kahili Park in Koloa, she said.
In September, iLEAD Kauai officials submitted an application for a Kauai branch of the international Entrepreneurial Development Arts Design School, which is based in California.
But the application was denied by the commission, which was concerned about the administration’s ability to implement the proposed programs on Hawaii.
Proposed programs included international culture literacy and environ- mental consciousness classes.
“It all sounds great, but in terms of putting it into a curriculum, the real nuts and bolts of it, the team wasn’t confident that they’d put a solid plan together,” said Tom Hutton, executive director of the Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission.
Additionally, the team was concerned the school was not successful enough in California to bring to Hawaii, he said.
“It’s hard to turn down every application, but the commission has to be true to its standards,” Hutton said. “The school is entrusted to the fate of educating children, and setting them up for the future, so we have the obligation to insist on only the highest-quality applications.”
Another reason for the stringent application process is to make sure schools will be able to operate after being approved, Hutton said.
“Even the ones that passed have had a hard time starting up, mostly because of funding challenges,” he said.
The commission has only approved three charter schools in the last three years. Strong applicants have a strong economic and financial plan, Hutton said.
When a charter school applies after being turned down, it is reviewed as a whole new application, Hutton said.
So, after taking notes from the commission, and making a few changes, charter school advocates on Kauai are trying again.
A notable change is the name. Gone is iLEAD.
“Alakai O Kauai Charter School will be completely on its own,” Blackwell said. “We want a chance to prove Kauai educators could make a difference on their own.”
But they still plan to model the Kauai school after the one in California, Blackwell said.
“We do believe in the iLEAD way and have modeled much of our curriculum, pedagogy and methodology after their principles,” she said.
Another change is the absence of Deena Fontana Moraes, iLEAD administrative resident and spokeswoman for the Kauai project.
Moraes is continuing her internship at the iLEAD school in California, and the torch was passed to others, Blackwell said.
Blackwell said this year’s application also reflects a school that is dedicated to Kauai and fits the island’s needs.
Nearly 20 people drafted the application, she added.
Hutton credits the Alakai O Kauai team with learning from previous mistakes.
“You can learn from being denied, and to their credit, they’ve learned lessons, and come back with earlier problems addressed,” he said.
The Hawaii State Charter School Commission is expected to vote on the Alakai O Kauai Charter School in August.
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Jenna Carpenter, education reporter, can be reached at 245-0441 or jcarpenter@thegardenisland.com.
