North Shore stands by Haleiwa Elementary School as it faces closure

Jade Eckardt

HALEIWA—In the wake of community disappointment over furlough days, the North Shore is facing a new educational hurdle. With the Waialua Complex School Consolidation Study nearly complete, the Board of Education (BOE) are 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.

In an effort to save Haleiwa school, Haleiwa Elementary parents created a petition against the closure, made bumper stickers showing support of the school, created a website dedicated to the cause, and have been appearing at the Sunday Haleiwa Farmers Market in support of saving the 140-year-old school, which is listed as bulding #80001271 on the National and State Registers of Historic Places.

Haleiwa Elementary supporters are asking community members to write letters to Gov. Linda Lingle, the Legistlature, and the BOE to let them know how they feel about the issue. Residents are also being asked to attend and testify at the public hearings and BOE meetings that are expected to be held in June.

A consolidation study has been drafted, which considers various effects the consolidation would have on the community as well as current teachers, student safety, the quality of learning, and financial issues for both campuses. A final draft of the study is expected to be completed by late May and will be submitted to the BOE.

According to Tom Jacobs’ book “Haleiwa, A Pictorial History,” the school opened in 1871 as Waialua English School. In 1880 it was adopted and funded as a government school with 48 students. In 1911, the school changed locations from Paalaa Kai to Waialua and opened at its current site on Haleiwa road. In 1940 the school’s name was officially changed to Haleiwa Elementary but was still refered to Waialua Elementary until the current Waialua Elementary was built in 1965.

On SaveHaleiwaSchool.com, supporters call their school “exceptional with a historic place for our children to learn” and state that it provides their children with “the best that public education has to offer.”

The petition to save Haleiwa school can be found at:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savehaleiwaschool/