Innovations Public Charter School plans to begin the next school year with eight more classrooms, a soccer field, a covered basketball court and two new grade levels, said Director Jennifer Hiro. Innovations Public Charter School plans to begin the next
Innovations Public Charter School plans to begin the next school year with eight more classrooms, a soccer field, a covered basketball court and two new grade levels, said Director Jennifer Hiro.
The award-winning Kailua-Kona school is receiving a $2.9 million federal government loan for expansion and refinancing its existing $1.3 million debt, Hiro said.
“We’re very excited,” she said. “We’ve been at our current location for roughly seven years and have long wanted to expand the campus. We look forward to adding Kindergarten and ninth grade to our program next fall, moving the middle school onto a more permanent campus, as well as expanding learning opportunities in our culinary arts, performing arts, fitness and sustainable garden programs for all of our students.”
Hiro was unsure whether the loan will pay for the entire cost of expansion — something she will have a better idea of once the project is put out to bid. She also hopes construction will happen right away and be completed in time for the 2012-13 school year. She added Innovations has draft designs of the expansion and the plans will be presented April 10 at its Local School Board meeting.
U.S. Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka, as well as U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono, announced Wednesday the award, made under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Facility Direct Loan program. Loans and guarantees are available to public entities and are used to develop essential community facilities in rural areas and towns of up to 20,000 in population.
While “extremely grateful” for the federal loan, Hiro also expressed gratitude to Central Pacific Bank and First Hawaiian Bank for helping the school get to the stage it is at today.
Innovations opened Aug. 1, 2001, and currently serves 185 students in grades one through eight. The demand for attending this free nontraditional, small school has shown no signs of letting up for years. Its waiting list for enrollment is extensive, with hundreds of prospective students. Because more students apply for admission than space allows, the school admits students based on a public lottery system, as required by federal mandate, Hiro said.
With the expansion, enrollment will increase to 230 students in Kindergarten through ninth grade, Hiro said.
Innovations received last year the Hawaii Charter School of Excellence Award from the Hawaii Charter Schools Network. The school is known for its student centered learning in multi-age groupings, inquiry and project-based focus, thematic integrative curriculum, arts and technology integration, parent participation, and its caring and experienced staff, Inouye said.
“This loan from the federal government recognizes the good work of the teachers and staff at Innovations to educate Big Island keiki in a nontraditional environment,” Akaka said. “The school has won numerous awards for excellence and achievement, and with this federal support to expand the campus and refinance debt, I expect to continue seeing great results.”
Innovations Public Charter School helps students achieve through community collaborations, holistic learning and high standards. It has changed the lives of many Hawaii Island students, Hirono said.
“One of the school’s first graduates was Matt Sylva, who’s now serving as a University of Hawaii at Manoa fellow in my D.C. office,” she said. “This USDA Rural Development investment will help Innovations expand its campus and ability to impact our keiki.”
