Namahana Education Foundation Receives $1 Million Anonymous Gift

Donation Will Propel the Effort to Build New Public Charter School on Kaua‘i’s North Shore.

PRESS RELEASE, October 22, 2023: A generous donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has made a major contribution to Namahana School. The new Kaua‘i North Shore public charter school, which received its conditional approval from the Hawai‘i State Public Charter School Commission this past June, will open with grades 7 and 8 and eventually serve grades 7 through 12. Current operational planning is focused on meeting a set of pre-opening conditions established by the Charter Commission as well as the ambitious task of building facilities in time to welcome its first cohort of students in the fall of 2025. 

“We are so grateful for this amazing gift, and for the vote of confidence it represents from the donor,” said Pam Murphy, chair of the Namahana School Governing Board. “Namahana has been, from the start, a community-driven endeavor to meet the real need of North Shore families for a tuition-free middle and high school closer to home. This extraordinary gift is a testament to the strength of that vision, and to the commitment of our community to help make it a reality.”

 The donation is unrestricted, and will be used to fund a wide variety of tasks associated with an effort of this magnitude. The campus will be sited on the eight acres of land at Wai Koa Plantation in Kalihiwai which was generously donated in 2018 by philanthropist Joan Porter for the sole purpose of establishing a public charter middle and high school. In 2020, the school team initiated work with the award-winning Hawai‘i architectural firm Group 70 to develop a conceptual design program for the campus. The plans currently contemplate opening with temporary facilities while permanent structures are being built. 

The gift was publicly announced at a community event hosted by Namahana School leadership on Oct. 23, 2022.

“This gift is a game-changer,” said Namahana Education Foundation Executive Director Melanie Parker. “Each time we wonder if we can really make this dream come true, someone steps forth with an act of astonishing generosity, bringing us one step closer to our aspirations. Now that we face the momentous task of building a campus that befits Namahana’s educational vision, we are trusting in our community’s support more than ever.” Namahana Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 2021 with the sole purpose of advancing the school’s mission, including managing fundraising and campus construction. 

“The individual who made this remarkable gift believes that Namahana School will be critical to life on the North Shore – a community for which they have great aloha,” continued Parker. “They believe that the money could not be better spent than in supporting public education on the North Shore and helping Namahana achieve its highest potential.” 

“This gift is a symbol of how much our community believes in Namahana and how important this work is,” said School Leader Dr. Kapua Chandler, who announced the gift at a public event on Sunday, Oct. 23 at Anaina Hou Community Park in Kīlauea. The event was attended by approximately 200 community members who gathered to learn more about the school, meet its leadership, and get a sneak preview of the proposed campus design. 

Chandler has been working with community stakeholders on the development of Namahana’s mission, vision, values, and instructional framework since 2018. “I am humbled that so many people have chosen to place their trust in our vision for the future of our keiki,” she said. “We always believed in the importance of a school like this, where children can develop a strong connection to place, culture and community while gaining the personal and professional skills to become responsible stewards of their world. But to see others embrace this vision with such enthusiasm reminds me of how transformative our work will truly be for the North Shore.”

 “The lack of public secondary education on the North Shore has been difficult for generations of families in our community. The story of Namahana School attests to the strength and commitment of our community to provide tuition free educational opportunities for our students,” said Lorri Mull, Education Chair of the Kaua‘i North Shore Community Foundation, which served as the incubator for Namahana School from 2015 to 2021. “The North Shore is such a unique place, and we are incredibly gratified that we were able to successfully spearhead the initiative for Namahana School. We believe the educational model developed for Namahana will inspire our students and allow our community to flourish for generations to come.”

Click here to read the story in The Garden Island.