Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 36, Number 11, 1 November 2019 — OHA Approves $3 Million for Howaiian-Focused Charter Schools [ARTICLE]

OHA Approves $3 Million for Howaiian-Focused Charter Schools

/ POKENŪHOU V " NEWS BRIEFS "

At an October 17th meeting, OHA's Board of Trastees approved $3 million in grant funding over the next two fiscal years to support 17 Hawaiian-focused charter schools. "We are proud to eonhnue our longstanding commitment to the Hawaiian-focused charter school movement," said OHA Chair Colette Y. Machado. "Despite facing funding shortages and other challenges that normal public schools do not have, these charter schools are still successfully raising our lāhui's next generation of leaders and preparing them to flourish both academically and culturally." Since 2006, OHA has provided $21.6 million to assist 17 Hawai-ian-focused charter schools located throughout the state. These schools provide innovative culture-based education to more than 4,700 students, more than 75% of whom are Native Hawaiian. Trustees also voted to award Kanu o ka 'Āina Learning 'Ohana (KALO) with a grant to administer the lion's share of the $3 million to 16 Hawaiian-focused charter schools. OHA's Grants Department will directly administer $249,411 to the last school, Kanu o ka 'Āina Charter School, because of the school's close affiliation with KALO. KALO was chosen to administer the grant through a eompetitive selection process.