Big Island Charter Schools Still Accepting Pre-K Applications

Four Big Island charter schools are still accepting applications for free pre-kindergarten programs for the 2016-2017 school year.

Ka ‘Umeke Kā‘eo Public Charter School in Hilo, Ke Kula ‘o Nāwahīokalani‘ōpu‘u Iki Laboratory Public Charter School in Kea‘au, Na Wai Ola Public Charter School in  Mountain View, and Laupahoehoe Community Public Charter School in Laupahoehoe are accepting applications.

Students are required to be four years old and have a family income 200 percent below the federal poverty guidelines for Hawai’i.

Each school is limited to 20 students.

The charter schools are fully funded through the federal Preschool Development Grant awarded to the State Public Charter School Commission.  The grant is intended to potentially serve 920 students over four years in 18 charter school classrooms statewide.

The Preschool Development Grant supports the states efforts to develop or enhance preschool program infrastructure that enables the delivery of high-quality preschool services to children. It also provides opportunities for Hawai’i to grow high-quality preschool programs in targeted communities to serve as models for expanding preschool to all four-year-olds from low and moderately-low income families.

In addition, the grant allows Hawai’i to continue to build on statewide efforts to support Hawai’i’s early childhood system through replicating the pre-kindergarten classrooms already operating on Hawai’i DOE campuses and implementing them in charter schools.