KALAHEO — State Department of Education Kaua’i Complex Area Superintendent Daniel Hamada does not want the temporary buildings at Kalaheo School to become permanent. Although spacious, insulated, and air-conditioned, Hamada expressed concern about the new administration building at Kalaheo School
KALAHEO — State Department of Education Kaua’i Complex Area Superintendent Daniel Hamada does not want the temporary buildings at Kalaheo School to become permanent.
Although spacious, insulated, and air-conditioned, Hamada expressed concern about the new administration building at Kalaheo School as he waited for the arrival of a contingent of about 20 state legislative leaders last week.
Coincidentally, members of a team of consultants on the new building were also at the school, working with Principal Erik Burkman, Hamada, and Nathan Kawaguchi, on a new administrative building which will occupy the site currently housing a concrete slab.
This area, before the school’s growth, was formerly a tennis court that served players in the Kalaheo area.
Legislators were impressed with the community response to the fire that destroyed one of the older buildings on the campus, including the administrative offices.
School records, some of which were destroyed, were more or less kept intact through a backup system currently in place. This impressed legislators as well.
Several members of the delegation inquired about how members of the community were able to respond so quickly, and making notes to insure similar responses in the unlikely event of future occurrences.
Hamada replied that there was open communication between himself and state DOT Superintendent Patricia “Pat” Hamamoto, which facilitated the response process.
A visit through some of the classes utilizing the new, temporary buildings was just one of the highlights on the lawmakers’ stop to discuss the new administrative building as well as parking areas to alleviate some of the heavy traffic during student drop-off and pick-up times.
While pointing out the areas anticipated to be used for parking, Hamada said that both Kalaheo and Eleele schools are targeted as growth areas despite the high prices of real estate in the Kalaheo area.
Hamada explained that he is working with county officials in trying to secure and arrange for areas to accommodate their parking areas, and pointed out members of a consultant team who were walking the proposed site for the new administration building with Kawaguchi.
Before leaving, the legislators were hosted to lunch in the school’s cafeteria, and took advantage of the opportunity to sit with some of the Kalaheo School students who were serving as cafeteria monitors on Thursday.
One student smiled at the them before taking up her serving post, and said, “I love cafeteria duty.”
