Veincent Named Principal at Kamehameha Schools-Hawaii

Lehua Veincent, currently the principal of Keaukaha Elementary School, has been named principal of the high school at the Keaau campus of Kamehameha Schools.

The announcement was made Thursday by Holoua Stender, who will take over as headmaster of Kamehameha Schools-Hawaii after the departure of Stan Fortuna this summer.

Veincent, who has spent 25 years as a teacher and administrator in the state Department of Education, will take over as po‘o kumu — Hawaiian for principal — at the private school in July.

Veincent has two master’s degrees in education for grades K-12 from the University of Hawaii at Hilo, one in curriculum and instruction and the other in education administration. He is pursuing a doctorate degree in curriculum studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Veincent is fluent in Hawaiian and has worked to incorporate the language into the curriculum at Keaukaha and other schools, Stender said in a  statement.

Prior to working at Keaukaha, Veincent was the principal and founder of Kea Ana La‘ahana Public Charter School, a Hawaiian cultural-based school in Keaukaha, where he still serves on the board. Veincent is also an instructor in the English department at UHH.

“I have dedicated my life to educating Hawaii’s children, and my passion for educating native Hawaiian children is at my core,” Veincent said in the statement.

“Kumu Lehua is a leader who is committed to the well-being of students and staff,” Stender said. “It is an honor to have him join the faculty of the Kamehameha Schools, Hawaii Campus.”