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Community advocate presents data on Wai Coast schools, asks OHA to lead place‑based pilot
Summary
A community advocate told the OHA trustees that schools serving the Wai Coast educate about 8,000 students, 61% Native Hawaiian, but many are not reaching ELA and math proficiency; she asked OHA to convene a place‑based pilot with DOE and community stakeholders to target interventions and improve data transparency.
Jermaine Meyers, identifying herself as a Native Hawaiian community advocate and a member of the Nanakuli‑Mā‘ili Neighborhood Board, told the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Committee on Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment that 11 schools serving the Wai Coast educate about 8,000 students, of whom roughly 61 percent — about 4,900 — are Native Hawaiian.
Drawing on publicly available Department of Education Strive HI reports and community observations, Meyers said the region shows persistent gaps in English language arts and math proficiency. "These are not just numbers on a slide. They reflect real children, real families, and their future," she said, arguing that many students are "progressing through grade levels without achieving proficiency," which leads to compounding learning gaps later in school.
Meyers highlighted relative bright spots in the region, naming Lehoku and Mahili elementary schools and Wai High School as examples that appear to be achieving stronger outcomes despite high levels of economic disadvantage in the community. She also noted two Hawaiian‑focused charter schools that serve the same communities.
While acknowledging that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs does not control the Department of Education, Meyers cited OHA's advocacy role under HRS chapter 10 and asked trustees to consider a place‑based pilot partnership focused on the Wai Coast. She proposed OHA convene DOE and community stakeholders, support data transparency and accountability for Native Hawaiian student outcomes, and pilot targeted supports such as extended learning time, library tutoring and early literacy and math interventions.
Meyers described local barriers she said families face — high absenteeism linked to transportation and economic hardships — and urged programs that provide sustained support when students miss foundational instruction. She also raised concerns that some school leaders resist community input required under Act 51 (school community councils), saying in part that "the principal doesn't want any input from the community," and asked OHA to help ensure community participation and oversight.
A trustee who commented called the statistics "overwhelming" and "staggering," and thanked Meyers for raising the issue and bringing local research to the committee. Vice Chair Akaka, serving as the Oʻahu trustee, agreed to follow up and bring a recap to the committee in about a month to explore next steps for advocacy and possible partnership work with DOE and legislators.
The committee did not take immediate formal action on the request during the meeting; trustees asked staff to follow up and to brief the committee at a future meeting.
