Kona Pacific Public Charter School

Welcome

Grand Opening Aug. 20

Please join the Kona Pacific Public Charter School community in celebrating the school's first day for students this Wednesday August 20th.  The ceremony begins at noon, and ends with a pot luck lunch.  We look forward to seeing you there!

 

School Office Open

Summer office hours are 9:30 - 3:30 weekdays.  

Phone service at the office will start on Wednesday, July 9th.

The school's phone number will be 322-4900.

  School Orientation     A Great Success!

Kona Pacific's first all-school meeting and orientation was a great success.  We enjoyed meeting each other, learned more about the school community, and discussed important next steps for enrolling students.  Admitted students whose families weren't able to attend will be sent a packet containing all the materials handed out at the meeting. 

Many thanks to all the volunteers who made the day go so well, especially our volunteer coordinator, Gretta.

Thanks also to our school families who made the time to come up to campus for the meeting; it was inspiring to see so many shining faces!

We look forward to seeing you again at enrollment conferences, which will be held the third week of July. 

School Orientation  June 14th

Come meet the teachers and staff, find out more about Kona Pacific's innovative programs and help us plan for next year. This meeting will include an orientation to the school, so it's very important that you attend.  We'll be having a potluck lunch, so bring something to share! If you would like to help set up for the meeting, please email our volunteer coordinator at kppcsvolunteer@gmail.com or call the school at 895-0962.

Enrollment Open

6.10.08

This is the third open enrollment period for school year 2008 – 2009.  The Kindergarten class at Kona Pacific currently has a short waiting list, but grades classes have additional openings for next fall.  Students from this enrollment period will be added to their class as they apply, on a first come, first served basis until the class is filled.

Enrollment information is posted on the enrollment page of this website.

School Starts 8/20/08

4.23.08

Enrollment Period #1 Closed

The first open enrollment period began Monday, February 18th and closed April 18th.  We expect to re-open enrollment in May.

We are currently contacting families to clarify information on a few applications, and then will be proceeding with the lottery draw.  Enrollment offers will be mailed to families by the end of April. If you have a specific question or concern about your student's application, call or write for more information.  Please see the contact page.

 

Enrollment Announced

1.09.08

Charter Awarded!

KEALAKEKUA, KONA, HAWAII – The Interim Local School Board of Kona Pacific Public Charter School has been awarded a charter by Hawaii's Charter Schools Review Panel. The school, located above Kona Community Hospital in Kealakekua, will open for classes in Fall 2008, providing a program inspired by Waldorf education, and serving approximately 100 lower-school students the first year. Enrollment will be open to all children in state, there will be no tuition, and enrollment forms will be available January 1st.

The Review Panel will issue formal notification in a letter to the Interim School Board, but yesterday's Panel vote is official, and binding.

Enrollment materials will be available starting in February. Call 895-0962 for more information. Information will also be available on the school's website, www.kppcs.org, or you may mail the office at P.O. Box 115 Kealakekua, HI 96750.

The school is seeking positive, energetic teachers and other staff to launch this exciting new project.

For more information, call 895-0962, or write the school office at:

P.O. Box 115

Kealakekua, HI 96750

9.30.07 PROPOSED KEALAKEKUA CHARTER SCHOOL AWARDED FEDERAL GRANT

KEALAKEKUA, KONA, HAWAII – The Interim Local School Board of Kona Pacific Public Charter School has been awarded a grant of $164,000 by the United States Department of Education for research, development and implementation of a new charter school inspired by Waldorf education. If the first year of development is successful, the school will receive another $135,000 for a second year of implementation.

The implementation funding is contingent upon award of a charter by Hawaii's Charter Schools Review Panel. The CSRP is currently in process of reviewing charter applications and is expected to announce charter awards by January 2008 at the latest.

5.30.07 PROPOSED KEALAKEKUA CHARTER SCHOOL SUBMITS REVISED CHARTER APPLICATION AND DIP

KEALAKEKUA, KONA, HAWAII – The Interim Local School Board of Kona Pacific Public Charter School has submitted a revised charter application and Detailed Implementation Plan to the Hawaii State Board of Education's Charter Schools Review Panel.

The Interim Local School Board proposes to operate a kindergarten through 12th grade public charter school in Kealakekua, Hawaii Island. The proposed school will weave Hawaiian cultural studies and farming and gardening into a rich standards-based academic program, with the intention of educating the whole child, head, heart and hands.

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10.6.06 PROPOSED KEALAKEKUA CHARTER SCHOOL RECEIVES PLANNING GRANT

KEALAKEKUA, KONA, HAWAII – The interim local school board of Kona Pacific Public Charter School has received a federal charter school sub-grant to plan and design programs to form a new charter school in Kealakekua on Hawaii Island.

The board proposes to operate a Pre-K to Grade 8 public charter school in Kealakekua, Hawaii Island, using a curriculum tailored from Waldorf Schools, interwoven with Hawaiian studies and including a farming and gardening element. The proposed school would be located on the current campus of Kona Pacific Waldorf School, on 40 acres above Kona Community Hospital.

Kona Pacific Public Charter School was one of three recipients among 13 applicants for this grant program, which is administered by the Public Charter Schools Program office of the State Department of Education. The proposals were reviewed and selected by Pacific Resources for Education and Learning, a professional organization with more than 15 years of experience as an educational laboratory serving the program interests of Hawaii and other Pacific Island education agencies with research-based support.

The $150,000 grant is for planning and program design purposes only, and does not guarantee issuance of a charter. To receive an actual charter, each recipient must develop a detailed implementation plan and apply for approval from the State Board of Education.

Under the current state charter schools law, the BOE may authorize an additional start-up charter school, beginning in July 2007, for each existing start-up charter school that has a three-year or greater accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. At this point, three existing start-up charter schools have achieved such WASC accreditation, allowing the BOE to authorize three new start-up charter schools this year.

Timelines for the charter review and selection process have not yet been announced.