Our Journey
By: Lisa Mireles
3/27/2009

In 1986, a committed group of parents and educators founded the Na Kamalei Kaua’I Waldorf School at 4480 Ho’okui Road in Kilauea. Na Kamalei means “beloved children.” Founders included Mimsy Bouret, Roberta Jones, Mary Blyth, Dale Saylor (Jacobs), Suzanne Van Valkenberg, Harvest Edmonds and Ellen Carter. At that time, Mike and Charlene Dyer, who own the site, agreed to pay for all construction materials and for services that could not be provided by volunteers. For several years the school prospered and served many families. In July of 1994, the school was restructured and renamed the Crater Hill School under a new board of directors that included Lee Roversi, Elizabeth Freeman, Robert Witt, Deborah Foster, and Paul Sulla. This restructuring and renaming was a response to the expansion of the vision and mission of the school. The school maintained Waldorf Roots and continued to serve many students and families. In 1998, the school was renamed Na Kamalei continuing to operate as a Waldorf School. In 2003, the board of Na Kamalei approached the board of Kula High & Intermediate and at that time Kula High & Intermediate agreed to manage the school. The school name was changed once again to Kula Elementary at Na Kamalei. Although many elements of Waldorf were retained the first year, the school changed over the years to better align with the mission & philosophy of Kula High & Intermediate. The schools were formally kept as separate entities with distinct boards of directors but the goal was to eventually move the elementary school to the site of Kula High & Intermediate. Efforts were made to start joining the two schools including the sharing of administration, staff, & facilities. In the Spring of 2007, the schools had a joint accreditation visit from the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools and the Western Association of Schools & Colleges and received accreditation as one entity. Kula High & Intermediate also successfully procured a permission from the county to construct elementary school buildings on the Waipake Campus in the summer of 2007. During the 2007-2008 school year, governance and administrative tension in response to the schools’ financial position resulted in a change in administration and a reconstitution of the Kula Elementary Board of Directors.

In October of 2008, the Kula Elementary Board of Trustees voted to develop a new, financially sound, 21st century, preK-12 school that fosters a culture of challenge, creativity and innovation, global awareness, social and emotional connections, and provides access to technology. With the closing of Kula High & Intermediate in June of 2009, we are now at an important crossroads in the school’s history with an amazing opportunity to truly change the landscape of education on the North Shore of Kaua’i.

We are excited to introduce Kauai Pacific School to the community. We have engaged in a rigorous strategic planning process that has helped us crystallize our mission and core values. We have articulated plans in governance; finance; facilities, development; marketing and community relations to help fully realize the potential of our school. Focusing on 21st century learning, sustainability and community will help us create a unique educational opportunity that prepares our children to live intelligently, peacefully and sustainably within a rapidly changing global environment.


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Kauai Pacific School: 4480 Ho`okui Road Kilauea, Kauai, Hawaii 96754 Telephone (808) 828-1144 Fax (808) 828-1110 Email