Beneath a towering mural of Hawaii’s last queen, retired faculty and supporters of the shuttered Queen Liliuokalani Elementary School gathered at the campus Friday to mark 101 years since the namesake queen herself dedicated the Kaimuki school.
A 10-foot lei — wrapped with purple crown flowers, the queen’s favorite — was draped along the bottom edge of the mural. The group sang "Makalapua," a song that pays tribute to Liliuokalani.
"We’ve been doing this since the 80th anniversary of our school, when the mural was completed, in honor of the queen’s legacy," said retired teacher and librarian Julia McCullen. "We hope to perpetuate this year after year."
The school has sat empty since it was closed in May 2011 as part of a statewide review of small schools. The Department of Education said at the time that the closure would save about $530,000 the following year.
The decision to close Liliuokalani was part of the review of low-enrollment schools in an effort to be more efficient and save money. The DOE spared four other Oahu elementary schools that were being eyed for closure along with Liliuokalani. The school had for years been in danger of closing because of its tiny enrollment, reporting 99 students when it closed.
"We worked hard to try to keep the school open so the children could at least celebrate the school’s 100th anniversary," said McCullen, who spent 25 years teaching there. "It’s very disappointing that nothing has been done yet. But this is a joyous day."
The DOE still plans to renovate some of the campus buildings into offices and a data center, according to Ray L’Heureux, assistant superintendent for facilities and school support services.
"The (request for proposals) has hit the street, or is about to, for the DOE data center, which will occupy what used to be the cafeteria," he said.
L’Heureux said it’s projected to be up and running in about a year. Once built, 50 employees from the DOE’s Office of Information and Technology will work at the center.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie last year released $2.2 million in capital funds for the project.
"It’s an absolute necessary requirement as we migrate into the 21st century," L’Heureux said. He noted the DOE’s plan to provide laptops or tablet devices to all students along with digital curriculum, which will require added IT capacity and support.
The school’s administrative building will also be renovated to house the DOE’s Office of School Facilities and Support Services. The Governor’s Office has said the move would eliminate about $900,000 a year in lease costs for the division.
"Right now those employees are scattered in four or five different spots across Honolulu," L’Heureux said. "That will bring a tenant and steward to the school, which is now otherwise unoccupied. We look forward to being good neighbors in Kaimuki."
As for the rest of the campus, L’Heureux hinted that other renovations could be in store.
"Obviously, there will be some expansion, but we don’t know. Twenty years from now the population centers could always shift, and maybe a school will be needed again there," he said.
Whatever happens, L’Heureux stressed that keeping the campus in the DOE’s inventory — rather than selling or leasing the property — will "keep the historical integrity of the school intact."
The original schoolhouse’s cornerstone was laid by Liliuokalani on April 12, 1912. The cornerstone was later embedded into the school’s outdoor basketball court.
Retired Liliuokalani Elementary teacher Sanford Yee said he hopes the campus can be used as part of the governor’s push this year for state-funded early-childhood education.
"That would be a nice surprise," said Yee, who attended the elementary school as a child. "That would make the queen happy, given her love for children and education."
