ANAHOLA — The Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission voted unanimously Thursday to reconstitute the Kanuikapono Public Charter School and Learning Center’s Governing Board.
And whether that means replacing individual board members, or the entire governing board, is up to the commission as it works through its next steps with a transition board, with the intent to ensure there is a board that can “carry out the mission of the school,” according to Sione Thompson, executive director of the State Public Charter School Commission.
“The commission will be appointing a transition board and then receive applications for permanent governing board members,” he said.
Those members will be appointed at the Aug. 9 general meeting of the commission.
Kathryn Smith, the school’s interim director and charter school program director, said the commission’s action cancels the “good efforts of the present governing board.”
“While what we did truly was a good effort to figure out a positive way forward with self-determination held within our community, we are now subject to the process as established by the charter commission to reconstitute a governing board,” Smith said. “It is unfortunate that we are not able to self-determine our governance, but to remain positive and hopeful, we will engage in the process by encouraging all the good people to continue to step up.”
Parents and former staff members who spoke about the reconstitution said they hope a change in the governing board and administration at the school will put the focus on education.
“I’m excited for the future of Kanuikapono,” said Kainoa Wojak, parent and former school health aide at Kanuikapono. “With the transition board the commission will instate, Kanuikapono will be able to move forward with integrity.”
On Wednesday, Smith said the commission had a “composition and compliance issue” with Kanuikapono’s Governing Board.
Thursday, school representatives went before the commission to state that they complied with all of the commission’s concerns and “the matter has been resolved.”
According to July 6 documents sent from the commission to Gov. David Ige, the commission’s concerns included a line of credit opened without Attorney General approval, school policies that are out of line with the PCS contract, and a governing board that doesn’t fit the criteria. The documents outline concerns stemming from an April 18 joint meeting between Kanuikapono PCS governing board and Kanu I Ka Pono Learning Center (Kanu INC), which “provides fee-based services to Kanuikapono School.”
A notice of concern was issued May 15 by the commission on the matter because the minutes of the meeting indicate that the Kanu INC board replaced the school’s governing board.
Former staff members, teachers and aides say the problem is the administration and governing board haven’t been working with all of the public, and favor certain families.
In public testimony on Thursday, Wojak pointed to fights that broke out between board members and staff members, as well as attempts to “shut the school down by stealing the internet equipment.”
She asked for the removal of several board members.
“I love Kanuikapono. Our community, especially our keiki, deserve better,” she said.
Kamealoha Hanohano-Smith, a licensed teacher and a cultural practitioner, has been involved with Kanuikapono over the years helping with project-based learning.
He said he’s looking forward to a governing board and administration that “knows how to work with the community and the teachers out there.”
“We await your return to the community,” he said. “There are ways to engage kids in teaching that would be helpful. The sky’s the limit, they need to figure out how to work with the community.”
Kanuikapono can be an inspiration for the entire Anahola community, he said, but the focus has to be on the kids and their education.
“We stand ready to help and assist,” Hanohano-Smith said. “I wouldn’t turn my back on an opportunity to work together, but we have to get past the politics.”
Kanuikapono announced earlier in July that it has restructured and reorganized with an emphasis on Hawaiian culture and values in several new initiatives.
“I’m very excited to step into my new position!” Smith said in a July 11 press release. “I look forward to the challenges and successes knowing that our staff is highly qualified and we are excited to begin the new year with our students. My door is open.”
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Jessica Else, environment reporter, can be reached at 245-0452 or at jelse@thegardenisland.com.
As a current teacher at Kanuikapono, I find it disturbing TGI only reached out to former employees for comment.