SCHOOL WILL SOON HAVE A PERMANENT LOCATION FOR A HIGH SCHOOL IN KAPOLEI. GROUND WAS BROKEN TODAY ON THNEW CAMPUS. BRYCE MOORE REPORTS. DREAMHOUSE IS A PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL, DESIGNED TO EMPOWER HOME- GROWN LEADERS FOR HAWAII COMMUNITIES. THEY’RE ALREADY TEACHING 100 9-TH GRADERS AT KAPOLEI MARKETPLACE, BUT FINDING A PERMANENT HOME ISN’T EASY.
ALEX: “IT’S VERY CHALLENGING TO START A BRAND NEW CHARTER SCHOOL IN THE STATE OF HAWAII. WE ARE GIVEN MINIMAL FUNDS FROM THE STATE OF HAWAII AND IT’S NOTHING AGAINST ANYONE. IT’S JUST THE LAY OF THE LAND AND THE EDUCATIONAL ECOSYSTEM WITHIN OUR ISLANDS.” FUNDRAISING COULD ONLY BRING IN SO MUCH, BUT WITH THE HELP OF THE CITY, AS WELL AS REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER AVALON, DREAMHOUSE OBTAINED A TEFRA MUNICIPAL BOND. COUNCILMEMBER ANDRIA TUPOLA SAYS IT’S THE PERFECT ARCHETYPE FOR OTHER CHARTERSRS.
ANDRIA: “I THINK IT HAS TO BE A MODEL BECAUSE THE TEFRA HAS NEVER BEEN USED IN OTHER CHARTER SCHOOLS. IT’S A TAX EXEMPT MUNICIPAL BOND SO THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY GET THEIR CONSTRUCTION UP IS SO KEY! BECAUSE REALLY, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, IS IT’S THE DOLLARS!” ALEX: “MANY, MANY THAT HAPPEN.
SO THIS MOMENTAKE RIGHT NOW TO BRING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO THIS COMMUNITY, FOR OUR SCHOOL, FOR OUR KIDS AND FAMILIES, I’M SO HAPPY AND I’M SO EXCITED TO SEE WHERE THIS GOES.
” IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE MUCH NOW, BUT THEY LITERALLY JUST BROKE GROUND TODAY. OFFICIALS TELL ME IN A LITTLE OVER A YEAR, ALL OF THIS… WILL LOOK SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
ALEX: “I AM FULLY CONFIDENT IN THE AVALON TEAM WITH THE FOLKS THAT ARE DOING THE CONSTRUCTION THAT WILL HAVE KEYS IN HAND NEXT SUMMER AND BE ABLE TO START OUR 2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR HERE AT THE DREAMHOUSE CENTER.” FOR STUDENTS, THE CENTER WILL BE QUITE AN UPGRADE.
“YEAH, I THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE AND SOON I’M GOING TO BE IN THIS BIG BUILDING” “I THINK THEY LOOK AWESOME. UM, IT’S BIG, WHICH IS DEFINELY NEW SINCE WE’VE BEEN IN A SHOPPING MALL. BUT IT’S GOOD.
YEAH, I’M EXCITED.” AND IN AN AREA THAT SOME CALL OAHU’S SECOND CITY, COUNCILMEMBER TUPOLA SAYS IT’S EXACTLY WHAT’S NEEDED. ANDRIA: “SO WHAT WE WANT TO SAY IS THAT AS THE SECOND CITY DEVELOPS AND MORE HOMES COME THAT, WE HAVE EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS. AND THESE EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS INCLUDE THE BUILDING OF STUDENTS TO BECOME FUTURE LEADERS. THAT’S WHAT WE NEED!
” THE $33 MILLION PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO ACCOMMODATE UP TO 400 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, THROUGH TWELFTH GRADE. WE’LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION ONy, KHON2.COM. BRYCE MOORE KHON2 NEWS WORKING FOR HAWAII. DASH: TW.
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