Kihei Charter School

Kihei Charter School is a public Charter School located in Kihei, Maui, Hawaii. Founded in 2001, Kihei Charter is the only charter school on the island and is the only high school in Kihei. Kihei Charter operates three different schools, serving children from Kindergarten through the 12th grade. Kihei Charter uses the Project-based learning pedagogy, and has a focus on STEM Education.[4]

Kihei Charter School
Address
650 Lipoa Parkway

Kihei, Maui
,
Hawaii

United States
Information
TypePublic, Charter,
MottoInnovative 21st Century Public Education[1]
Established2001[2]
School districtHawai'i Department of Education
DirectorJohn Colson
Staff32.00 (FTE)[3]
GradesK-12
Number of students520 (2017–18)[3]
Student to teacher ratio16.25[3]
CampusUrban
Color(s)    Blue, Silver & Black
MascotTiger Sharks
AccreditationWestern Association of Schools and Colleges[2]
AffiliationsSouth Maui Learning Ohana
Websitewww.kiheicharter.org

Prior to 2018, Kihei Charter operated in multiple locations in Kihei, with no school owned property. On October 22, 2018, Kihei Charter opened a combined school, serving grades K–12. The new $18.6 Million facility is owned by the South Maui Learning Ohana.[5]

History

South Maui Learning Ohana

Kihei Charter School was founded in 2001 by the South Maui Learning Ohana (SMLO). SMLO is a grass-roots non-profit organization, which at the time of the school's founding was composed of parents, educators, students, special needs specialists, small business development advocates, school administrators, public officials, a teacher's union representative, people experienced in technology integration within learning situations, and other members of the South Maui community. The SMLO steering committee was twelve members and it met regularly for two years prior to submitting its charter to the State of Hawaii. Its broader affiliation included 1200 Maui residents who petitioned for the school's creation. South Maui was without a high school and, in the year prior to the school's opening, sent approximately 1,000 students to high schools in other communities on Maui.[2]

In its first year, the school shared a space with the Kihei Youth Center in North Kihei. Student enrollment at that time was approximately 60 students in grades 10–12.

Ohukai and Lipoa Expansion (2002 - 2019)

During the summer of 2002, the school relocated to another North Kihei location at 300 Ohukai Road. That school year, KCS also extended its enrollment to include ninth grade. During the 2004–05 school year, the school expanded to serve grades K-12. During summer 2006, KCS relocated to a new facility within the complex at 300 Ohukai Road, which was the former site of Hope Chapel.

During summer 2007, the school acquired additional space for a second campus in Kihei and expanded its enrollment to accommodate a new Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) program for middle school students. The following year, Kihei Charter opened up a new campus, "Arts Academy". Located in the Maui Academy of Performing Arts building, the campus focused on Visual and Performing Arts. In 2009, the STEM Academy and Arts Academy merged into "Kihei Charter TEAMS Academy". Due to art lacking curriculum, the campus was renamed back to STEM Academy the following year.[2]

References
  1. "Kihei Charter School Official Website". Retrieved 2012-07-01.
  2. "Kihei Charter School History". Retrieved 2012-07-01.
  3. "Kihei Charter School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
  4. "State Public Charter School Commission 2017 - 2018 Report" (PDF). Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-02-27. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  5. "Kīhei Charter School Opens in Permanent Location". Maui Now. Retrieved 27 February 2019.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.