Nā Wai Ola Public Charter School

08/21/2026

Aloha e nā makua!

If anyone is in a position to help and donate, please do so.

Please continue to take care of yourselves, your ʻohana, and our communities. E mālama pono kākou!

HIDOE's Ka‘ū-Kea‘au-Pāhoa Complex Area Office is collecting donations for families and communities affected by Hurricane Lala. Donations of goods and supplies can be dropped off at 16-586 Kea‘au-Pāhoa Road in Kea‘au. Monetary donations can be made to vibranthawaii.org and hawaiiislandstrong.org.
For more information, contact Jason Schafer at [email protected]

08/18/2026

Aloha e nā ʻohana!

Nā Wai Ola PCS will remain CLOSED on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.

It was annouced this afternoon at the press confenece held by Mayor Alameda and Governor Green that due to the impacts caused by Hurricane Lala, ALL Schools, County, and State offices on Hawaiʻi island will remain closed on Tuesday, August 18, 2026.

We will continue to monitor the safety conditions and keep you informed as information becomes available.

Please continue to take care of yourselves and your ʻohana during this time. Mahalo!

08/17/2026

Aloha nui e nā ʻohana!

We hope you and your ʻohana are safe and well.

We will be closed on Monday, August 17, 2026, due to the impacts of hurricane Lala.

Our staff are doing their best to assess any damages, restore power, and coordinate clean up efforts to ensure that our school campus is safe for all of our students and staff to return.

We will keep you informed as we complete these efforts and it is safe for our entire school community.

Please remain vigilant and continue to take any necessary precautions. Mahalo!

Following assessments of school campuses and surrounding community conditions, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) will keep public schools and offices closed statewide on Monday, Aug. 17.

The additional closure will allow time to complete campus safety assessments, restore utilities where necessary and address storm-related impacts.

The Department will continue working with county and state partners and will provide updates regarding Tuesday's operations as additional information becomes available.

Previously announced extended closures on Hawai‘i Island for Nā‘ālehu Elementary and Ka‘ū High & Pāhala Elementary School remain in effect.

Read more at: https://hawaiipublicschools.org/2026-hawaii-island-public-schools-open-friday/

08/14/2026

The Hawai‘i State Department of Education is closely monitoring Tropical Storm Lala and working in coordination with state and county emergency management officials as the storm approaches the state.

Based on current weather conditions and forecasts, all HIDOE public schools on Hawaiʻi Island will maintain normal school-day operations on Friday.

From 5:30 p.m. Friday, all Hawaiʻi Island public school campuses and offices will close through Sunday. All previously scheduled school-related events and activities during the closure period will be canceled or postponed.

Read more at https://hawaiipublicschools.org/2026-hawaii-island-public-schools-open-friday/

08/13/2026

Aloha e nā ʻohana,

At this time, Nā Wai Ola PCS remains open tomorrow, Friday, August 14, 2026, as scheduled. We are closely monitoring Tropical Storm Lala and will continue to assess conditions affecting Hawaiʻi Island and our Puna community. The safety of our keiki, ʻohana, and staff remains our highest priority. Should conditions require a change to our school schedule, we will notify families as soon as a decision is made. Mahalo!

07/23/2026

Aloha e nā ʻohana Nā Wai Ola!

We look forward to welcoming our haumāna and ʻohana to the 2026–2027 school year, an exciting milestone as we expand our learning community to serve Kindergarten through Grade 9. Join us for our ʻOhana Orientation and Annual Title I Meeting on Friday, July 31, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM as we share important updates, introduce our Hawaiian culture-based Project-Based Learning program, and prepare for a year of meaningful learning experiences grounded in ʻike Hawaiʻi, aloha, and kuleana.

Following the meeting, please stay and join us for a Spaghetti Dinner as we gather together and celebrate the beginning of a new school year.

Please register and RSVP TODAY at: https://forms.gle/sa5ZFU8oWUp4EZ8x9

Mahalo nui, and we look forward to seeing our Nā Wai Ola ʻohana!

06/09/2026

Aloha nui kākou!

Nā Wai Ola Public Charter School is hiring for the 2026–2027 school year.

We are a Hawaiian culture-based public charter school serving the Puna community and are expanding to offer grades K–12. Beginning next school year, we will add Grade 9 and continue adding one grade level each year until we reach Grade 12.

Our unique approach to education is rooted in Project-Based Learning, with a strong focus on ahupuaʻa stewardship and mahi ʻai (agriculture).

If you or someone you know is interested in joining our team, please submit a cover letter and résumé to [email protected].

Mahalo!

Are you interested? View a list of our open career opportunities at Nā Wai Ola Public Charter School. Discover how you can apply to be part of our ʻOhana!

06/04/2026

Aloha kākou! We are currently hiring and seeking well-qualified candidates to join our team immediately.

View our available positions here: Nā Wai Ola PCS Career Opportunities nawaiolapcs.org/contact/career-opportunities/

If you are interested, please submit your cover letter and resume to [email protected].

Mahalo!

05/29/2026

Aloha e nā ʻohana o Nā Wai Ola,

We are proud to share exciting and historic news for our school community.

Today, May 28, 2026, the Hawaiʻi State Public Charter School Commission met and unanimously approved Nā Wai Ola Public Charter School’s expansion to serve grades Kindergarten through 12.

This milestone means that Nā Wai Ola will grow into a full K–12 learning institution through a thoughtful, phased approach:

Grade 9: School Year 2026–2027
Grade 10: School Year 2027–2028
Grade 11: School Year 2028–2029
Grade 12: School Year 2029–2030

The Commission recognized our newly designed Project-Based Learning (PBL) educational program as both robust and rigorous, noting its strong alignment with our mission, vision, and commitment to Hawaiian culture-based education. This affirmation reflects the deep and intentional work of our kumu and staff in designing meaningful, engaging, and academically challenging learning experiences for our haumāna.

We are especially excited about the work already underway to prepare for this next phase. Our educational team is actively building and refining our schoolwide PBL program to ensure it enhances student learning, strengthens outcomes, and reflects who we are as a school community.

In addition, we have begun coordination with our partners at the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, including the Complex Area Superintendent, as well as leadership from Keaʻau High School and the Big Island Interscholastic Federation (BIIF). Through these collaborations, we are working to ensure that our future high school students will have access to athletics and extracurricular opportunities through Keaʻau High School.

This achievement reflects the collective commitment, dedication, and belief of our entire community—our haumāna, ʻohana, kumu, staff, and board. It is a direct result of our shared vision to provide a high-quality, culturally grounded education rooted in ʻike Hawaiʻi and delivered through a dynamic PBL approach.

This success belongs to all of us.

As we move forward, we remain committed to working collaboratively to ensure that every student is supported, challenged, and inspired—now and into the future.

Mahalo nui loa for your continued trust, support, and partnership.

Interested in enrollment for school year 2026-2027?
Click the link: https://nawaiolapcs.org/ohana/enrollment/

05/09/2026

Aloha kākou!

Are you still considering where to send your keiki for middle school for the 2026 - 2027 school year? Nā Wai Ola PCS still has a few more spaces available for grades 6 - 8. We also have a few spots available for grade 9 high school. Contact us at (808) 968-2318 or [email protected].