{"id":3037,"date":"2026-07-25T08:34:29","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T08:34:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=3037"},"modified":"2026-07-25T08:34:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T08:34:29","slug":"in-complete-shock-kapolei-middle-school-hawaiian-language-immersion-program-cut-due-to-teacher-vacancies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=3037","title":{"rendered":"\u2018In complete shock\u2019: Kapolei Middle School Hawaiian language immersion program cut due to teacher vacancies"},"content":{"rendered":"
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KAPOLEI (HawaiiNewsNow) – Parents and community members are searching for alternatives after the Hawaii State Department of Education cut the Kaiapuni Hawaiian language immersion program at Kapolei Middle School, citing an inability to fill two teaching positions before the start of the school year.<\/p>\n

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In a July 6 letter, principal Daryl Agena informed parents the program would not continue, writing that \u201cover the past several weeks, we have worked diligently to recruit qualified Kaiapuni teachers,\u201d but that \u201cboth Kaiapuni teaching positions remain vacant, and we have not been able to secure qualified teachers in time for the start of the school year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Program served West Oahu students in 7th and 8th grade<\/h2>\n

The Kaiapuni Program at Kapolei Middle School allowed 7th and 8th grade students to take core classes in \u02bb\u014clelo Hawai\u02bbi. <\/p>\n

Advocates said the program enabled west side students to participate in Hawaiian language immersion while also taking part in HIDOE extracurricular activities such as sports and English-speaking electives.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Andrea Dias Machado, president of nonprofit Ke \u02bbAlohi \u02bbO \u02bbEwa, said enrollment in the program grew by 285 percent over three years, reaching 27 students.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was in complete shock,\u201d Dias Machado said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t believe that after four years of growing the program.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added: \u201cWe have worked really hard with community to grow the school.\u201d<\/p>\n

HIDOE cites statewide shortage of qualified Kaiapuni teachers<\/h2>\n

In a statement, the HIDOE said \u201cthe school has not received applications from qualified candidates\u201d and noted that \u201cbecause Kaiapuni programs require licensed teachers who are fluent in \u02bb\u014clelo Hawai\u02bbi, these positions can be especially difficult to fill.\u201d <\/p>\n

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The department said there are 14 vacant Kaiapuni teacher positions statewide. The HIDOE is encouraging candidates to apply at hawaiischooljobs.org.<\/p>\n

The HIDOE offered parents three options: remain at Kapolei Middle School without immersion instruction, continue immersion through distance learning, or transfer to an available immersion program with the closest in P\u0101lolo or N\u0101n\u0101kuli.<\/p>\n

Family to commute from Pearl City to N\u0101n\u0101kuli<\/h2>\n

Parent Keshia Alaka\u02bbi said her son, La\u02bbakea, who made the honor roll and will be in 8th grade, faced the prospect of being held back and placed in a special education class if he stayed in the district because English is not his primary language.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo the next thing was like, what are we going to do?\u201d Keshia Alaka\u02bbi said.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The Alaka\u02bbi family, who live in Pearl City, said they will commute to Ka Waihona o ka Na\u2019auao Public Charter School N\u0101n\u0101kuli so their son can continue learning \u02bb\u014clelo Hawai\u02bbi.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor us, it\u2019s very important to regain a language that was forbidden to speak,\u201d said parent Kaipo Alaka\u02bbi.<\/p>\n

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Dias Machado said Ke \u02bbAlohi \u02bbO \u02bbEwa is rallying support on its Instagram page.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Families are searching for alternatives after teacher vacancies forced the state to cut the Hawaiian language immersion program at Kapolei Middle School.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3036,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n\u2018In complete shock\u2019: Kapolei Middle School Hawaiian language immersion program cut due to teacher vacancies - Hawaii Moving Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=3037\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018In complete shock\u2019: Kapolei Middle School Hawaiian language immersion program cut due to teacher vacancies - 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