Kauaʻi’s first public school on North Shore for grades 7 and 8 opens at temporary campus

Children growing up in the remote rural communities of Koʻolau and Haleleʻa have historically had to commute to Kapaʻa and beyond to attend school after grade six.

But on Monday, after a six-year effort, Namahana Public Charter School opened its doors at a temporary campus in the former Kula School campus in Waipake.

It was the result of meticulous planning, including a thorough community engagement process. Namahana went through the charter school application process and continues an intensive fundraising campaign to build a dedicated campus, according to school officials.

It is the first tuition-free, public middle school and high school serving Kauaʻi’s remote North Shore. The schoolʻs location will eliminate long commutes for many older children, allowing more time for rest, to do homework and have fun.

“Today, we celebrate a dream that has lived in our hearts for over 30 years,” said Namahana School Leader Dr. Kapua Chandler, a lineal descendant of Halele‘a and Ko‘olau. “So many families along our coastline, including my own, have waited for this moment.”

Chandler led the 2019 community engagement process and also assisted and produced Namahana’s mission, vision and values.

“So exciting,” added Kathy Nelson, vice president of the Namahama Education Foundation Board. It’s a “dream in the making for a very, very long time.”

On the first day of the inaugural school year, 125 students in the 7th and 8th grade classes arrived at the temporary campus. They were welcomed with cheers and applause from overjoyed parents, grandparents, teachers and community members.

The school will add a new grade each year until reaching full capacity of 360 students in 2030.

The temporary school will be in place, until construction can be completed at Namahana’s permanent site The 11.3 acre land in Kīlauea Town sits behind the Kīlauea United States Post Office and the Gather Federal Credit Union.

In 2022, Namahana received its charter approval from the Hawaiʻi Public Charter School Commission. The next year, the school acquired the property with overwhelming donor support from the local community, according to the schoolʻs website.

The Namahana Education Foundation has raised $8.3 million of an initial $10 million goal to construct the first phase of its environmentally sustainable campus design.

Namahamaʻs educational model is guided by the international Big Picture Learning network and ʻāina-based learning. It emphasizes cultivating deep connections with students’ communities and natural environment to build critical skills that can be applied to solving real-world problems.

On Monday, family and community members gathered at Namahana’s nearby permanent campus site for an opening day photo. They were joined by members of Namahana’s Governing Board and Namahana Education Foundation, as well as local and national educational leaders.

Dr. Chanel Wong, one of Namahana’s nine inaugural faculty members, said: “A lot of our kids leave Hawai‘i because they don’t see their purpose or how to be successful here. But if we can offer an education that makes sense to them, then we have a real shot at creating a better Kaua’i, a better Hawai‘i.”

Nelson, a foundation board member for almost four years, flew to Kauaʻi from California for the first day of the new school. She said the community’s hard work made it possible.

“I want to see the school fully enrolled,” said Nelson, whose granddaughter is an inaugural student. “We want to keep pushing above what we are considering today.”

Nelson added: “Education is a real important key to the future, and grounded in the core Hawaiian values. And, it will give the children a real, tangible world experience.”

Hanalei residents Alondra and Abraham Varela said their daughter Emily, a member of the school’s first eighth grade class, was excited to attend the new school and reunite with all her Anahola and North Shore friends.

In Spanish, Abraham Valera said his daughter was up at 6 a.m., getting herself ready.

Without the opening of Namahama, their round-trip commute from Hanalei to Kapaʻa was about two hours. Now, Emily will have more time to focus on her school work.

“Weʻre so happy,” both parents said at the same time in Spanish. “Weʻve been waiting about seven years for today.”

They said they look forward to more sleep and less commuting.

Alondra Velara said in Spanish: “Weʻre so grateful for this community and all the support they continue to provide parents and our children.”

In April, the school presented a locally sourced, sustainable food system. Students sampled a tasting menu to help define Namahana’s farm-to-table school lunch options in preparation for the first day of school.

Hawaiʻi County Policy Analyst Polly Phillips, attending on behalf of Kauaʻi Mayor S.K. Kawakami, presented a county proclamation to Namahana School. The proclamation congratulates individuals for fulfilling a decades-long aspiration of the Haleleʻa and Koʻolau communities.

Incoming eighth-grader Kohana Simpson from Wainiha said she was really excited to attend the new school due to its “more student-led” curriculum in which “everyone can express themselves as they really are.”

Since it was founded in 2020, the Namahana Educational Foundation has raised more than $7 million in support of Namahana School. The Namahana Education Fund manages the fundraising and construction process for the school campus, and generates ongoing community support to cover operational costs not met by the state’s per-student allocation.

“A high tide raises all boats,” Nelson said. She encourages other communities interested in considering something like this to know that “it is possible.”

To learn more about Namaha School, its curriculum or to donate, click here.