Gov. Neil Abercrombie has released $618,000 for the Big Island’s Volcano School of Arts & Sciences to plan and design a new campus in Volcano Village. 

The campus is slated for an existing 3.5-acre site at Keakealani School, which the charter school is currently leasing from the state for its middle-school classes. The idea is to create a campus for the charter school’s elementary grades, which for now are being housed at a location on Old Volcano Road. 

Abercrombie said in a statement that the project will allow Volcano Arts & Sciences school to finally have its own permanent campus and consolidate its grades. 

The school’s nonprofit, Friends of Volcano Arts & Sciences, which is receiving the state grant, plans on financing the actual construction through private funding, loans and possible federal aid. 

Photo: Volcano School of Arts & Sciences. (Courtesy of Volcano School of Arts & Sciences)

— Alia Wong

Alia Wong previously covered education news for Civil Beat. A Honolulu native, Alia returned to the islands in May 2012 after graduating from Boston University with degrees in journalism and Latin American studies. Alia was a longtime intern at Civil Beat before landing her position as a reporter-host....