Kohala Elementary School is one of five new schools selected to offer the state’s publicly funded pre-kindergarten program in the 2018-19 school year.
The program targets low-income families and is operated by the state Executive Office on Early Learning. Ten schools applied this year, state Department of Education spokesman Derek Inoshita said in an email.
“We’re absolutely excited,” said Kohala Principal Danny Garcia on Monday, noting about 72 percent of Kohala’s students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. “There have been preschools here that have not survived, so early childhood education in Kohala is extremely limited. My vision has always been to have a preschool for our school. My belief is that every elementary school in the state and country should have one.”
The program began in the 2014-15 school year with a $3 million initial state appropriation. It was Hawaii’s first state-funded pre-K program.
This year, it operates in 19 schools statewide, including nine on Hawaii Island. They are: Honokaa Elementary School, Hookena Elementary School, Ka‘u High and Pahala Elementary School, Keaau Elementary School, Keonepoko Elementary School, Konawaena Elementary School, Mountain View Elementary School, Naalehu Elementary School and Pahoa Elementary School.
The program can serve up to 420 4-year-olds statewide, including 200 on the Big Island.
The state’s Public Charter School Commission also operates a federal grant-funded pre-K program for low-income students at 13 charter schools statewide, including six on the Big Island.
Research shows pre-K programs can help prepare students for K-12 schooling, particularly among students who are low-income. One study showed students who attended pre-K programs earned higher scores on reading and math tests than those who didn’t.
About 56 percent of Hawaii’s 4-year-olds attended some sort of program to prepare them for kindergarten in 2014.
Kohala Elementary began a grant-funded, pre-K program through Kamehameha Schools this past January, Garcia said. The grant expires in May 2018, and Garcia said he applied for the state program in an effort to make the elementary school’s current pre-K program sustainable. Kohala’s teachers already noticed gains among this fall’s kindergarten cohort, he said.
“We had 16 students transition from our first pre-K program last spring semester to kindergarten, and I’ve asked all three kindergarten teachers if they notice a difference, and they all say, ‘Of course,’” Garcia said. “They are the ones who are the class leaders. They know what to do and how to behave. … So, without a doubt, once we get established, I know there will be a huge difference.”
To be eligible, a student must be age 4 on or before July 31 of the current school year. Families must earn 250 percent or less of the federal poverty line, defined last year as $70,725 for a family of four.
For more information about the application process, visit tinyurl.com/HawaiiPreKprogram.
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
