Whats Happening on the Big Island
June 15th - July 15th

Aloha

This is our Eleventh e-zine to date, and it finds us at the beginning of what seems like it will be a hot summer.

Our lead article is about Hawaii Charter Schools and the legislation that just passed that opens the door for them to receive funding for their facilities.

We also have a article about the proposed mid level road in Kona, and the upcoming public hearing on it.

As always we have our two upcoming concerts, the two events that stand out this month, and some great Big Island pictures.

If you have any questions about advertising on our site, or in our e-zine, contact , she will be glad to answer any questions you might have about advertising schemes and the whatnot.

Enjoy

Public Charter Schools Recieve New Legislation!

Hawaii law provides funding on a per capita basis, and charters are funded by the Legislature through a single budget category apart from DOE funding categories.

The Legislature's 2008 budget reduced charter schools' "per student" allotment by more than 12% to about $7000 per child, down from the 2007 budget allotment of $8149 per child. This is partly due to a 15% jump in projected enrollments. Charter enrollment has grown by over 400% since 2001, and the schools are in some ways victims of their own success.

To make matters more difficult, charters have not received facilities funds, even though charter schools are public schools, and therefore constitutionally entitled to such support; they must pay lease and utility fees out of instructional monies.

But on June 3rd, Governor Lingle signed into law Act 86, which allows the Charter School Review Panel to allocate funds as seen fit for facilities. For those of you who don't know that much about Charter Schools lets look at what a charter school is.

Hawaii's 31 Public Charter Schools are:

Public Schools

* Serving over 7600 K-12 students
* Employing more than 1000 public employees
* Paid for with tax dollars
* Open to all who wish to attend
* Subject to state and federal performance standards

Providing Innovative Alternatives

* Small class size
* Multiple-grade learning teams
* Mainstreaming SPED students
* Schools that focus on Hawaiian culture and language

Delivering Results

* Hawai'i's charter school students, as a group, outperformed traditional public school students on the 2003-04 Hawai'i State Assessment and SAT tests
* 67% of charter schools met the 2005-06 SAT honor roll criteria, up from 40% in 2003-04

So now that you have an idea of what a Charter Schools is lets look at some of the schools on the Big Island.

All told there are 13 on the Big Island, and here are links to the websites of some of the more prominent charter schools on the Big Island: Innovations, Connections, Kona Pacific, Waters of Life, and West Hawai'i Explorations Academy(WHEA).

The Big Island's Charter schools are some of the best on the island, providing unique and often advanced learning opportunities to our children. It gives me a good feeling to know that these schools will be receiving their fair share of our tax dollars.

Ane Keohokalole Highway (mid-level road) meeting set

Although a number of burials have been discovered in the proposed corridor, plans are proceeding for the proposed Ane Keohokalole Highway in Kona.

A 6 p.m. public meeting will be held Tuesday, June 23, at Kealakehe High School to discuss current planning for the highway project. (A project summary sheet is posted below.)

Mayor Billy Kenoi and federal, state and county officials will address questions about the project at the meeting. Members of the planning and design teams from project consultant Belt Collins Hawai‘i also will attend the meeting.

The meeting also marks the release date of the draft Environmental Assessment for the project.

There are some serious issues this road will face, the biggest being the burials that have already been uncovered, and the number of others that might be uncovered if construction begins.

There is a big push from the county to move this project forward, because of the Federal Stimulis money that it qualifies for.

For more information, click here

Pu`uhonua o Honaunau(City of Refuge) Celebrates 48th Annual Hawaiian Cultural Festival June 27th and 28th

Pu`uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park will be celebrating its 48th Anniversary and Annual Cultural Festival and on Saturday and Sunday, June 27 and 28 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.

The theme is “Na Mea Hana Lima na Kupuna” -the working hands of our elders.

Many activities are planned for both days including a royal court procession, cultural demonstrations and hula.

Saturday features canoe rides and Sunday includes a hukilau and Hawaiian food tasting.

The Park welcomes everyone to join them in experiencing the history and culture of Hawai`i and the unique Honaunau area.

Bring your family and friends and spend a day in the park. Come prepared for hot weather; bring water, sturdy walking shoes, hat and sunscreen.

Park fees are waived for the weekend of this special event.

The Island Music Scene

Eek A Mouse & Ooklah the Moc live in concert June 27th at the Kona Bowl