“Laura Brown New Image”
Two communities, Laupahoehoe on the Big Island and Hauula on Oahu, are on a quest to provide their children with a quality education and are looking to apply for charter school status as a way to accomplish that goal.
Both Hauula Elementary (K-6) and Laupahoehoe School (K-12) are public schools currently in restructuring under No Child Left Behind. Each is a small, rural school with over 200 students. Scores on the Hawaii State Assessment reveal that the majority of students do not function at or near grade level proficiency in reading or math. Many parents have chosen to home school or transfer their children to other schools, rather than let them continue to suffer from educational neglect.
At Hauula, a group of committed parents pooled their life savings and began to teach children