Rendering: Bowers + Kubota

A proposed preschool near the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center in Hilo is on track for construction in 2027.

The preschool, at 600 ‘Imiloa Place, is being jointly developed by SFA, the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, and the State Public Charter School Commission.

Targeted for completion in 2027, the preschool will have a total of four classrooms, each capable of accommodating 20 students between the ages of 3 and 5, serving a total of 80 students. Altogether, the preschool will consist of three buildings — two for classrooms and one for administration — and an enclosed outdoor education area on 2.25 acres.

Last July, an environmental assessment showed there is a great need for the preschool, and Doug Cullison, SFA’s prekindergarten program manager, said the community provided valuable feedback to enhance the school’s overall design.

The preschool will be staffed by new teachers from UH Hilo’s Kahuawaiola Indigenous Teacher Education, a certificate program for those who have obtained a bachelor of arts degree in Hawaiian studies and Hawaiian language.

Hawai‘i Employers Are Building for the Future

Rendering: WRNS Studio

Hawai‘i’s employers have long recognized the lack of affordable housing in the islands affects their ability to recruit and retain employees. Today, some visionary employers are taking action to address this challenge. These employers are building for the future, literally, by developing workforce housing as an attractive employee benefit.

A number of employers across different sectors, including education, healthcare, manufacturing and other industries, were recently featured in a Pacific Business News article titled, “Building a New Recruitment Tool” by reporter Nichole Villegas.

In the article, Cheri Nakamura, SFA’s policy and program officer, shared that Kūmelewai Hale, the $80 million workforce project now moving forward on the Mililani High School campus as public-private partnership between SFA and nonprofit developer Pacific Housing Assistance Corporation is designed to help alleviate the high cost of housing for public school teachers and other Department of Education staff.

“Affordable housing has become a challenge for many industries in Hawai‘i, it is exciting to be working on concrete solutions to this challenge to help attract quality teachers and help them remain in the profession to provide Hawai‘i’s students with a quality education,” Cheri said. “I believe the workforce housing project at Mililani will be the first of many more to come for Hawai‘i educators and serve as a model for other industries across the state.”