Yesterday was the last day of the 2010-2011 school for all Hawaii public schools.
It was also the last day ever for Queen Liliuokalani Elementary School, located in Kaimuki!
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20110527_tears_fill_final_day_at_liliuokalani_elementary.html
One year shy of what would have been its centennial anniversary, Queen Liliuokalani Elementary held its final day of classes ever, with teachers, parents and students gathering for a tearful send-off to mark the end of another school year while mourning the closing of their beloved school.
At an assembly in the Kaimuki school's cafeteria Thursday, the last-ever awards for citizenship and most improved students were given out, the last-ever QLS basketball team was told their purple jerseys would be retired, the last-ever fifth-grade class celebrated its graduation and Liliuokalani's last-ever principal, Raelene Chock, addressed students, telling them to "remember where you came from. Always remember QLS."
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1) Why did it close?
In great economic times, no one would consider closing this school.
However, these are NOT great economic times. We just can't pay for everything we want! Tax revenues have declined, but more importantly, the private sector has declined! Something had to be cut!
Also, population trends come into play. Within the last 3 decades, the population of Oahu has shifted from east to west. So many young families are moving to West Oahu, that the schools are running out of room for all those children. Some new schools are being built, but the state can only build so much new schools at a time!
So the state is being pressured to build new schools in areas that have growing populations (West Oahu), yet it's still pressured to keep funding schools in areas that don't have as much young families as before (East Honolulu). East Honolulu's average population is also getting older, and whatever young families are still around, many are rich enough to send their children to private schools.
Wailupe Valley Elementary School already closed down due to low enrollment. Other East Honolulu elementary schools, like Koko Head and Kamiloiki, also had declining enrollment, but they also had high test scores, and it wouldn't look good if schools with good test scores got closed down. Those 2 schools got saved!
2 elementary schools in Kalihi (Kalihi Elementary and Puuhale Elementary) also had declining enrollments, but many parents in the area felt closing their schools while saving East Honolulu schools is a form of economic discrimination. So those 2 Kalihi schools got saved!
Liliuokalani had small enrollment, average test scores that were outshined by nearby schools. And in the era of reduced budgets and populations moving west, it was Liliuokalani that was to be shut down.
2) My Time at Liliuokalani Elementary Schools
I was enrolled as a student at Lilioukalani Elementary School for my preschool and kindergarten years. I never lived in the school's district. I was enrolled in their program, because I started talking late (at age 5, when many kids start at age 2) and there was room in their preschool program.
My memories over just consisted of the classrooms, the basketball courts and the bus I took to get there. I wouldn't remember any of the students names.
Starting from 1st grade, I attended Lanakila Elementary School, which was the school of my district. I was there until 5th grade. Obviously, I have much more memories there! And I'm still in contact with many of my peers from Lanakila!
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I did return to Liliuokalani Elementary School as a substitute teacher. I was there 2 times, once in December 2006 and December 2008. The school did feel a lot smaller than it did when I was a kid there. (of course, everything to a kid is big). It did feel like traveling through memory lane, even though it was so long ago.
The 1st time I subbed there, things went pretty smooth. The 2nd time, there was 1 kid who kept talking out of turn, I wanted earplugs, LOL! Both were upper elementary classes.
3) Comments on the closing
There are some comments about this issue from the internet that I want to address.
Some said the school's closing was done for the purpose of "dishonoring Queen Liliuokalani" who was the queen overthrowned in 1893 by European-Americans.
It's got nothing to do with that! It's all about location. If that school was located in West Oahu areas like Ewa, Kapolei or Mililani, all of which has seen an increase of young families, it wouldn't be closed down at all! No matter what is was called!
Other comments on the schools closing goes something like "they're closing the schools so that kids be deprived of an education". No! The kids will still get an education, they'll just go to nearby schools like Liholiho Elementary School or Waialae Elementary School!
4) Conclusion
Even though it was totally understandable that the school closed down, it is still a sad moment for everyone who had associations with Queen Liliuokalani Elementary School. The schools are a major part of the students life, it is their 2nd home, their "home away from home". Schools are not only a place of academic studies, they're also a place of friendship, fun activities and many memories!
Even though I was at that school for a very short time, and even though I had more memories at other schools I attended later in life, I will still miss the existence of Queen Liliuokalani Elementary School :(
