General Information about Koloa Elementary

Köloa School is located on the leeward, sunny south shore of Kaua`i. Köloa is situated in an historic plantation community, with a residential area of long-time residents, as well as a major tourist destination with resort hotels and condominiums on the near coastline. Köloa is the site of the first commercial sugar plantation in the Hawaiian Islands, and is also the oldest public school on Kaua`i, established in 1877.

The school serves preschool to grade five students that live in the Köloa, Läwa`i, `Öma`o and Po`ip ü areas. A strong feeling of `ohana characterizes the school-community, and the majority of students live within walking distance of the school, while buses provide transportation for those students whose residences are in the rural areas of `Öma`o and Läwai. The local economy is primarily visitor industry based with additional developments occurring in Po`ip ü.

Köloa School is a setting where students, staff and families are working together to support academic excellence and healthy social-emotional development through the incorporation of a Positive Behavior Support system which promotes positive student behavior. Respect, Responsibility and Safety are the cornerstones of our schoolwide expectations.

Major initiatives to improve student achievement have included:

• Training teachers in effective instructional practices, with support given by coaches for instructional improvement,

• Math and reading coaches who provide instructional, planning, and data analysis support,

• Standards-based instruction driven by student data,

• Identifying and aligning “essential” content to HCPS III,

• Using a coordinated curriculum in all content areas, and

• Increasing technology as a teaching and learning tool in all classrooms.

SY 2021 - 22

Due to the pandemic, we are not able to offer as many extracurricular activities as we have in the past. We continue to offer Morning Club as a safe place for students to be prior to school starting each day. We offer an after school Coding Club as well as a Ukulele Club. We offer a summer learning hub as an additional academic boost. During the school day, a variety of classes and services are provided for our students. Students engage in Computer instruction, Physical Fitness, Hawaiiana and Guidance. We also have ELL (English Language Learner) support, Counseling, School Based Behavioral Health services and Special Education.

Support from our local community has been shown via grants, partnerships, parental and community involvement, and monetary donations from the Hawaii Community Foundation, Grove Farm, Kauanoe O Koloa, Koloa School PTA, Kukui`ula, LLC, Syngenta and others who support improving our ability to service both the school and community.