Kapolei Elementary School

Kind and caring class teacher and other staffs.My son started 3rd grade in the year 2012 and was new to everyone in this school and had some problem with understanding the language even though he was good in math. He did not take much time to understand everything because of his class teacher and other members of the school. I really appreciate his class teacher`s effort. He passed his HSA exam with very good score. This school offers wonderful programs for their children including games and field trip. 5 stars for this school.
—Submitted by a parent

Kind and caring teachers and staff. My kids love it there. Kapolei Elementary offers wonderful programs for their students. The coffee hours for families are beneficial. The school offers many opportunities for parents to learn about school programs and how we can help our children. 5 stars for Kapolei Elementary!
—Submitted by a parent

KES gets zero stars from me. My Brother has his daughter here in 1st. grade. There is a VALID & CURRENT Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) against the mother on file with the school. The 'mother' can't be anywhere near the child. 'Mom' showed up at the school on 9/1/11 and the office staff let her sign the child out. Appears they didn't check child's file. Now, on 9/7/11, whereabouts & safety of the child are unknown.

Kapolei Elementary is a 5 Star school. There curriculum is excellent & above DOE's expectation. My neice went to Pre-K, not knowing anything & at the end of the year could read a whole book & do really good basic math. My son started Kindergarden this year & in 2 days he can spell his name, that is 9 letters long. So I'm very pleased with them academic & I haven't found a flaw in this school yet.
—Submitted by a parent

Ihave a grandaughter attending Kapolei elementary. This is her second year, she had a soild foundational teaching in kindergarten the reinforcment in teaching skills have caused her to excell this year. mahalo to kindergarten teacher kerry yrojo she's the best at Kapolei Elementary.
—Submitted by a parent

My son has been attending this school for 3 years, and so far I love his teachers. His kindergarden teacher was very encouraging and loving - so I think that's why he had a good first impression of school. His first grade teacher is awesome! My's son handwriting has improved so much and I think he is learning great things. The only improvement would be the drop-off, pick-up situation - very dangerous with no traffic cop...
—Submitted by a parent

I have had 3 children at the school for over 3 years. I have only had 3 good teachers out of 9!! The classes are way overcrowded, the teachers each have their own curriculum, not having to explain their grading system or how they got their grading system. When the princ. and the asst. princ. are involved, they stare into space and do nothing. Teachers do not have to account for their screaming at the children nor do they have to follow any guidelines. I have twins in same grade, different teachers, yet completely opposite homework and grading. There are no textbooks for any grade, and no instructions are ever sent home on how to help the children with the homework. The A+ program is the worst I have ever seen, with leaders constantly scream at the kids, are just out of high school and the mgmnt is a joke.
—Submitted by a parent

School is crowded (evidenced by track system) and short on resources, but the teachers care and I think my children got a surprisingly good education.
—Submitted by Andrew H, a parent

I had two children attending Kapolei Elem and pulled them out due to lack of safety concern, overcrowding and non-challenging academics. Some teachers were very professional, while majority of teachers encounted seemed overstressed and did not like parents to inquire about their child's progress. The principal was disorganized. My children did not feel safe attending school and actually regressed in academics instead of progressed. And yes, I did work with them at home as well. I really don't mind driving an extra 30 minutes to have them attend a great DOE school like Moanalua Elem!
—Submitted by a parent

My children attend Kapolei Elementary. I find that the school is overcrowded with an average of 25 students per teacher. Teachers are overloaded. Class sizes are too big. Students cannot get the individual help needed. The multi-track system disrupts the learning. It is not working. The campus is still overcrowded. Lunch is rushed. The playground equipment is insufficient for the 1200 plus students. I would really hate to see a fire and have the students crammed into the hallway at once. The 'GAP' kids fall thru the cracks due to the lack of quality time to get to know the student difficulty.
—Submitted by a parent

My son attended 1st grade at Kapolei, but we decided not to send him back for 2nd. I think that the teachers and principal of Kapolei are well-intentioned, caring people who simply are not able to 'make it all work' in an over-crowded, under-staffed school where parent involvement is low and the different cultures collide. The teachers are very young and inexperienced. The year-round, multi-track schedule means there are a lot of breaks throughout the year and consequently, a lot of interruptions to learning. The playgrounds/athletic fields are not well supervised or maintained (the grass is often 'child high') and the play structure is woefully inadequate for the 1200+ student population. There were very few organized after-school programs (other than after-school care) or weekend fundraisers or get-togethers. And, although the school tries to encourage volunteerism among the parents, a lot of programs were cancelled due to lack of interest. There is a disconnect b/t the parents and teachers--no regular parent/teacher conferences and teachers so over-worked, they have no time to talk! There was no art instruction at all, but music and Hawaiian culture were part of the curriculum. On a positive note, the rooms are air-conditioned and the school's lunch program is very good, with balanced meals and a pint-sized salad bar!
—Submitted by a parent