On Campus: A New Charter School Scrambles To Open Its Doors

As her new charter school, Kamalani Academy, prepares to open, school founder, Kuuipo Laumatia, take us on a walk through last-minute snafus and solutions.

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Days before Kamalani Academy opened in August, the new Wahiawa charter school was scrambling — to train teachers, to find a vendor to provide school lunches, to figure out how to get enough electricity to operate until the power company could install a new transformer.

“On Campus” is our new education podcast that follows the first year turmoils and triumphs of one of Hawaii’s newest charter schools.

Kamalani Academy’s teaching staff worked to figure out how best to set up arts-integration classrooms in the days before school opened in August. April Estrellon/Civil Beat

In Episode 2, school founder Kuuipo Laumatia takes “On Campus” host Jessica Terrell on an 11th-hour walkthrough of the Native Hawaiian arts-integration school.

Kamalani opened Aug. 7 with 311 students — and a wait list of 200 more — and 14 teachers. Join our reporters for last-minute teacher training sessions and other preparations as school is about to begin.

Civil Beat will be tagging along with Kamalani staff on their journey, posting occasional podcasts throughout the school year. Check our On Campus page for updates.

Listen to Episode 2 of “On Campus” below, or download it in on iTunes.

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