Kealakehe Elementary School

I taught at Kealakehe for three years when I moved to Kona, and I still substitute regularly now that I've retired. The reason I worked there, after retiring from 28 years teaching in California, was the dedication and quality of the teachers. Even under restructuring, their focus was the whole child. It is a very difficult, low-income neighborhood, but problems on campus are minimized by the counselors and other staff members who let each child know that he or she is cared for. Expectations are high, and those children who have talents in particular areas are given opportunities to excel. Special services staff work hard to keep up with the immigrant population and those who need differentiated instruction beyond the regular classroom. Opportunities abound for parental involvement, but few are able to take advantage of them due to financial stresses. Teachers stay current with support from Literacy Coaches and Math Coaches.

Teachers at Kealakehe were ALWAYS great, caring & wonderful for my child. Always challenged him and promoted a great classroom atmosphere. Administrative staff, front office and Principal NEED WORK -- VERY disorganized, no 'Aloha', disrespectful and terrible to deal with. If only the staff could learn from the Teachers @ Kealakehe Elem.
--Submitted by a parent

Very disorganized office situation. Not very security conscious or even aware of where the kids are. My kids state test grades showed a dramatic decline after 2 years. Pulled my kids out, and now homeschool.
--Submitted by a parent

My child's teacher is extremely organized and effective. They have been learning amazing things in Science, Literature and Math all year long. I spend time volunteering in the school and from what I see, this type of structure is the norm. My child's writing exceeds that of her peers at the private school!
--Submitted by a parent

The office is very disorganized. You receive a different answer depending on who you ask, and when they do put something in writing, it is wrong. It took me three weeks to have my son enrolled because of their disorganization. My sons class has 23 kids in it. Much higher than the 16 you list. The daycare is also full which they said they had before we moved him to the school.
--Submitted by a parent

I really don't see much structure. Kids run wild. Every wednesdays they get out at 1:00. And they don't seem to collect box tops for help; they get the kids to sell stuff to often.
--Submitted by a parent