Proposed school
changes improve
access to officials

The superintendent's plan divides
6 school districts into smaller
administrative units

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By Crystal Kua
ckua@starbulletin.com

A middle-school official searches to find out why a high number of students are unable to read: Is it the feeder elementary schools? What can be done to improve reading at all schools?

A special-education student is not able to get a certain mental health service at his school, but the service is available at a nearby school.

The answers to such problems are often funneled through the Department of Education's busy district offices.

School Superintendent Pat Hamamoto hopes to free district officials to speed up the answers and focus on delivering academic services to all students. She plans to restructure the current seven public school districts.

"I believe the most effective decisions should be made closest to the location of implementation," Hamamoto said. "You have contact and you make the decision. The impact is greater because it's done now."

It is a plan that proposes to eliminate at least one layer of bureaucracy by reducing the scope of responsibility for district superintendents.

Hamamoto's plan divides six of the seven districts -- Honolulu, Central, Leeward, Windward, Hawaii and Maui -- into smaller administrative units made up of a number of complexes, which are high schools and their feeder schools.

The district superintendents and deputy superintendents in each district will become complex-area superintendents, and each will supervise about two to four complexes. The plan goes into effect next semester.

"Complex-area superintendents would be accessible to the principals so we can make decisions quicker," Hamamoto said.

Currently, most district superintendents are responsible for anywhere from 40 to 55 schools. The reorganization would cut in half the number of schools under the supervision of one administrator.

"We have reduced the span of control for the superintendent," Hamamoto said.

For example, the Windward District's superintendent and deputy will each oversee one of the two new complex areas -- Castle and Kahuku will be grouped, and Kalaheo and Kailua will be together.

In another example, the Big Island currently has a district superintendent and two deputies, so the island will be divided three ways: Honokaa, Kohala, Kealakehe and Konawaena in one group; Laupahoehoe, Hilo and Waiakea in another; and Pahoa, Keaau and Kau in the third.

Districts with unique situations like Maui, which includes the islands of Maui and Lanai, are still being finalized. Hamamoto plans to present her final ideas to the Board of Education later this month.

Alignment of the curriculum is at the heart of the restructuring, she said, so that resources and services are focused on the success of the child from pre-kindergarten through high school.

Kauai, with three school complexes and 16 schools, is the only district that will not change, because it is one of the models for Hamamoto's restructuring.

Kauai Superintendent Daniel Hamada said that keeping abreast of what is going on in the schools is key to learning what schools need.

"You have a better understanding of how to work with the schools," Hamada said. "It's a lot different between 16 vs. 40 schools."

Windward Deputy District Superintendent Louise Wolcott said, "Building on that, I think it will allow us to perhaps be more visible in the complexes and team more with the complex."

Windward District Superintendent Lea Albert said: "We've learned quite well with what we've done with service testing and that this works. It's a brave thing in the (Department of Education) to say that something works."

The Windward district is well on its way to focusing on complexes, they said.

"We've deployed all our resources into the complexes," said Albert, former principal of Kahuku High School before being tapped for the top district spot. "Complexes are now on the same path, same direction ... so we want to carry that over so that it impacts the classroom and everybody is on the same wavelength from pre-kindergarten to 12."

Hamamoto said the district restructuring will be done without adding more personnel.