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Kamalani Academy closure decision reversed after appeal

The state Board of Education reversed a decision by the State Public Charter School Commission to not renew Kamalani Academy's contract, which would have permanently closed the school in June. Kamalani Academy will have another year to operate.
Casey Harlow
/
HPR
The state Board of Education reversed a decision by the State Public Charter School Commission to not renew Kamalani Academy's contract, which would have permanently closed the school in June. Kamalani Academy will have another year to operate.

The state Board of Education delivered a long-anticipated decision for the students, parents, and staff of Kamalani Academy on Thursday.

"The board after reviewing the evidence of record and by unanimous vote of the members present, reverses the commission's decision to not renew [Kamalani's] charter contract," said Bruce Voss, BOE chair.

The state Charter School Commission voted not to renew Kamalani Academy’s contract earlier this year. That would have forced the school to close in June if the BOE hadn't reversed the decision.

The board found the commission failed to appropriately detail Kamalani's deficiencies in the school’s performance report and in the commission’s decision to not renew Kamalani’s contract.

The school acknowledged it violated its charter by using an unlicensed virtual learning program without the commission’s approval. During the pandemic, the school experienced a surge in student enrollment because it promoted a remote learning platform and provided students with laptops. However, the academy was using the Utah-based Harmony Educational Services, which wasn't approved by the commission.

The commission also issued another notice to the school last year regarding inaccuracies with the school's projected student enrollment, the state of student records, the governance of the school and the release and withdrawal of students.

However, the school's principal and governing board said they addressed and resolved those issues with the commission.

"The school being opened just means so much to our communities," said Amanda Fung, principal of Kamalani Academy.

Kamalani’s attorney argued the punishment didn’t fit the mistakes school officials made. The lawyer also said closing the school would displace more than 150 students and staff.

Students, parents and teachers of Kamalani Academy rally outside the Queen Liliʻuokalani Building on March 2, 2023, to protest the State Public Charter School Commission's decision to not renew the school's contract.
Casey Harlow
/
HPR
Students, parents and teachers of Kamalani Academy rally outside the Queen Liliʻuokalani Building on March 2, 2023, to protest the State Public Charter School Commission's decision to not renew the school's contract.

"[For] a lot of our kids, this is one of their only options you know they need our school, and knowing that, I think it feels good to at least have an opportunity," Fung said.

The commission’s interim executive director PJ Foehr accepted the board’s decision and said the body will meet to discuss the next steps.

"As long as all the parties can sit down and have frank conversations, then we'll keep doing that," Foehr said.

The BOE’s decision mandates the commission and Kamalani Academy to try to reach a new agreement before July 1. If an agreement isn’t made in that time, Kamalani will have another year to operate and work with the commission for a new contract.

Casey Harlow was an HPR reporter and occasionally filled in as local host of Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
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