Charter school’s
closure rejected

A judge says financial woes are not reason
enough for the state to close Waters of Life

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By Rod Thompson
rthompson@starbulletin.com

HILO >> A Hilo judge has rejected a state attempt to close Waters of Life Charter School because of overexpenditures.

Circuit Judge Riki May Amano ruled yesterday that the law says a charter school in financial trouble "shall" be placed on probation.

Waters of Life board Chairwoman Laurie Saarinen said during a break in court proceedings: "We're over budget. No one disputes that."

She said the state has put the overage at $219,000.

The problem arose because the Department of Education cut the school's funding, she said.

The school was allocated about $2,997 per student this year compared with $4,600 per student last year.

The average for public schools is $7,000 per student, Saarinen said.

School Director Truitt White, equivalent to a principal, said the first priority was to stop the state lawsuit.

"We have a big problem (with finances). We had to stop this runaway train first," he said.

Deputy Attorney General Stephen Chang argued that his office has the power to close the school under the state constitutional provision requiring fiscal responsibility.

Amano rejected the argument and wondered aloud why the Department of Education did not take action, rather than the attorney general.

"You should have gone to the Board of Education and said, 'You better do something about it, folks,'" she told Chang.

School attorney Thomas Tsuchiyama said the state had "unclean hands" because it failed to try to resolve the matter outside the court.

White said the school's enrollment has dropped to 66 this year from 166 last year.

"Parents aren't sure about the school," Saarinen said.

The school has cut eight teaching and nonteaching positions from its previous 24-person staff, White said.

It moved classes from the Hawaii Naniloa Hotel, costing $3,500 per month, to the Hilo Boys and Girls Club, costing $1,500 per month, he said.