Hopes are high for Haleiwa Elementary School to remain open

NORTH SHORE—The Board of Education (BOE) will be recommending to the full board that there should be no consolidation of Haleiwa and Waialua elementary and high schools.

“I am happy to announce that there is a 99.9 percent surety that the whole board will accept the committee’s recommendation and that we will continue instructing children at Haleiwa Elementary School on a status quo basis,” principal Malaea Wetzel told North Shore News.

Under the Waialua Complex School Consolidation plan, the Board of Education was considering the closure of either Haleiwa or Waialua Elementary School, which would result in the movement of students in kindergarten through fifth grade from the closed school to the school that will remain open, and placing the sixth graders from the closed school into Waialua High. Adjusting the attendance of both schools to 350 students each in grades K through 6 is one alternative to closing the schools that is being considered by the State.

The BOE will make its final decision at an October 7 meeting at Castle High School.