A group of students from Kaua’i High School and Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle
schools recently went back to school.
No, not at their schools. They took principal Lopaka Bodnar up on his offer
to spend a day at his St. Francis School campus in Lihu’e.
The result was that a good time was had by all. The visiting students eased
into classrooms with their private-school peers and experienced structured
instruction for the first time since the start of the public-school
teachers’ strike April 5.
Public school students throughout Kaua`i and statewide have had time on
their hands during the contract dispute between the Hawai’i State Teachers
Association and the state of Hawai’i. Their schools have remained closed to
students and the sites of picket lines.
“It’s good to see other schools’ curriculum,” said Konane Henline, a senior
at Kaua’i High who spent a day at St, Francis, a Catholic school located in
the former Immaculate Conception School facilities near Kaua`i County’s
Isenberg Park.
“I think it’s a good program,” said David Medeiros, another Kaua’i High senior.
“Since the strike, we’ve had kids coming in, kids visiting, kids interested
about the private-school education,” said Bodnar, who welcomes the students
hungry for classroom learning.
As the school is also looking at getting more involved in the community,
Bodnar hopes the exposure the school is generating with its day program for
strike-affected students could lead to more grants, which could lead to
more tuition assistance for families who want to send their children to
private school but can’t accommodate the tuition payments.
“Some of the kids just can’t afford it. That’s one of the biggest reasons
for not coming here,” he said. “Students just feel, ‘Well, I can’t go there
because I can’t afford to.’ What we’re saying is, ‘Hey, here’s another
option – maybe we’ll look at some ways to assist you and what we can do to
help you if you desire to come to this school. Because there is no question
as to the need for the school.”
Bodnar, who has been in education for 30 years, said he grew up in a needy
family on O’ahu, so he sympathizes with families that may not be able to
afford private school.
“One of my goals is definitely to try to make it accessible for everyone in
the future,” he said.
St. Francis has grades seven through 12 (it will expand down to sixth grade
this fall), and expects a double-digit graduating class this year.
Besides Henline and Medeiros, other visitors to the school were Kristine
McClurg, Lornette Correa, Storm Sasaki, Kolomana Basconcillo, Douglas
Dureg, and Asia Villatora, Alaina Villatora and Alaric Villatora.
“It was so nice of them to come over. It was so nice to have that,” Bodnar
said of the visiting students.
Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net
or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
