Dozens of community members filled the tiny cafeteria of Kaaawa Elementary School yesterday to show overwhelming opposition to a state proposal to close the 106-year-old school.

“;I don't think that you should close our school, because the teachers are good and the kids are learning a lot,”; Kaaawa second-grader Marley York, 6, said yesterday. “;I like my school, and just because it's a little school doesn't mean it should be closed, because everyone is learning good things.”;

The state Department of Education announced in 2008 that it is looking at closing the school because of costs to upgrade facilities. The 145 or so students would be sent to Hauula or Waiahole elementary school; both are about seven miles away.

After a year of study, a task force released a report saying that closing high-performing Kaaawa could leave the Windward District in “;much worse shape.”;

At a hearing before the task force yesterday, community members praised the panel's preliminary findings and testified that the school is the center of the community, links generations that have gone to school there and draws residents to live in the community.

Maureen Malanaphy, a retired teacher who lives in Hauula but taught at Kaaawa, said the school has its own character and that every teacher knows the name of every child and parent.

“;If you break up the school, you break up the family,”; she testified. “;Something is here that money can't buy. Once it's taken away, it cannot be returned.”;

The task force report said closing Kaaawa would continue the pattern of providing resources for only new suburban schools.

It also found the school rises above three criteria to start an investigation to close a school. It added that sending Kaaawa's students to neighboring schools would lead to overcrowding and loss of enrichment programs that were meant to help the other schools get out of sanctions for failing federal requirements.

“;The money saved, between $400,000 and $450,000 if you believe the projections provided by DOE, does not warrant consolidation,”; the report said.

Todd Watanabe, Kaaawa's principal, said that for the community a small school is important “;to the standard of living that they want to maintain.”;

He said the school has made improvements during the year, such as a $2 million renovation to the cesspool, making it federally compliant, and adding drainage culverts.

The task force will make a decision on Tuesday.

The decision will go to the complex-area superintendent, Lea Albert, who will forward her decision to the schools superintendent. The Board of Education makes the final decision but does not have a deadline.