Back-to-school officially kicked off at Waiʻalae Elementary Public Charter School with an official opening and blessing of a new preschool classroom.
This is part of Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke's larger Ready Keiki initiative, which plans to have universal preschool by 2032.
Kawika Chun, the head of Waiʻalae elementary school, stated that before this opening, it saw nearly 100 students on the waitlist for their 20-spot pre-K program.
Opening this new dedicated preschool classroom doubles Waiʻalae’s pre-K capacity from 20 to 40 students. The plan is to open an additional classroom in 2026 that will bump up enrollment to 60 keiki.
“Today, we celebrate more than new classrooms. We celebrate meeting our community's tremendous demand for quality pre-K education,” Chun said. “In our existing program, we see remarkable growth as young learners develop social skills, literacy foundations and the confidence that prepares them for kindergarten success and beyond.”
Kahu Kordell Kekoa led a blessing of the space with a maile lei made up of three strands.
“This is really a dream becoming a reality. If you look at the three strands, it’s us, it’s our children and program, and it’s the spiritual part of helping our children be amazing,” Kekoa said.
Speakers at the blessing pointed out the new furniture and flooring. They said these materials and resources are universal among all the new classrooms across the state.
Luke stated that it’s an effort to make each classroom and student feel equal regardless of where they’re learning and show that everyone deserves access to education.
“No matter what school it is, everybody has the same furniture, same facilities, same flooring. The reason for that is no matter where you are in the state, we wanted to make sure there was equity. We want every child to be just as special.”
