Kaimuki School Closure Moves Forward
UPDATED 2/25/11 9:05 a.m.
It appears that even the beloved queen’s name and an approaching centennial anniversary may not be able to save Kaimuki’s Queen Lydia Liliuokalani Elementary School.
Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi‘s to close the school and send its students to nearby Waialae and Liholiho elementary schools received a nod from the Hawaii State Board of Education Administrative Services Committee Thursday evening. The vote was 7 in favor with three committee members abstaining: Maralyn Kurshals, Herbert Watanabe and Gov. Neil Abercrombie‘s new appointee, Don Horner. (Committee member Kim Coco Iwamoto recused herself from the meeting entirely.) The full Board of Education still gets to make the final decision.
The committee also planned to consider two other closure recommendations: Puuhale and Kalihi elementary schools. But after last week’s meeting, which was recessed until Feb. 24, the superintendent and Department of Education withdrew their recommendation to close Kalihi Elementary School, committee member Pamela Young told Civil Beat. Because the recommendation was withdrawn, the committee did not vote on it.
Young said that eight committee members did vote against the to close Puuhale Elementary School, however. Young and Horner abstained from the vote.
“I did campaign on the basis of the budget crisis,” Young told us. “When the question was asked about my position on school closures, I said at least a couple of times, ‘It’s an emotional issue but I would consider it.'”
Young said she felt she still had a lot of questions about the proposal to close Puuhale — particularly of the comparative benefits for students transitioning from a small school to a larger one.
Even though the committee only recommended one of the closures, Iwamoto said the full Board of Education may still determine the final fates of all three schools.
