People have a lot to say about this school. In consideration to the geographical factors that make…read moreit difficult for residence that live near by and staff controlling traffic flow, i have seen nothing but positivity and happy children. In my Opinion, this is a true community based school. They even have a bench where new students can go to and veteran students will introduce themselves to make new friends. 10+years affiliation with this elementary and I am grateful we live in this district. Staff are attentive and friendly.

My son had an IEP going to this school. So his teachers & counselor knew about his tics (tapping &…read morerandomly saying things/making random sounds) & behavior before hand. We've had multiple meetings. One day after picking him up he had told me about what had happened during school that day. He had told me that the EA teacher had asked him if he wanted to read in front of the class room & he agreed. He told me he was excited that he was asked if he wanted to read in front of the classroom. As he started to read his EA teacher started making sounds loudly & his IEP teacher started banging on the table loudly. While doing this they're laughing & the whole classroom is laughing along. When he asked why they are doing that they said "this is what you do" he was very upset & after that asked to outside to "calm down" as if he shouldn't be upset at what they had done to him. He tired to explain to his counselor that day but felt like he was brushed off & that the counselor agreed with what the teachers had done. After this had happened his VP did leave me a voicemail saying how disappointed she was about how the teachers handle this. I kept my child out of school for a whole month due to he already felt embarrassment, hurt & very confused on why ADULTS would act in this way. They mocked him! Who knows if they will cause him to not want to volunteer to read out loud or go up in front of a classroom again. I had lost trust in these teacher who are suppose to be his support team & who are suppose to make him feel like he is in a safe place ! I've contacted the principal to see if he could change classes or accommodated somehow with another outside IEP teacher but he pretty much said no & that, that IEP teacher is his teacher/on his staff team & that I could think about other options like homeschooling or find another school to put my child in. The only other option was to TRUST in him & have my child mend his relationship with this EA & IEP teacher & the way he said it was with no sympathy at all! He said it in an aggressive tone. He said that the teachers will be receiving some type of consequences but couldn't say what that was exactly because it's confidential. So again during the time that my child was out of school the principal kept saying that we would "find a way" to get him back into school but there really wasn't any changes going to be made. Only two options he gave was to have my child mend his relationship with his teachers or homeschool/transfer him. So as a parent I would not recommend this school. I would not put my trust in the principal there. He only seems to want it his way or pretty much go find a new school when they're at fault. He walks around with a smile but you can see past that when you actually have a conversation with him that it's all for show. Miss Windh who was his IEP teacher was very unprofessional! She & the EA are not fit to be teachers! Especially if you have no patience with children with an IEP. It's unbelievable that she was not fired for her actions & also the EA. They now probably think that they got away with what they did to a child who is only in the 3rd grade. Two adults had to gang up on him to make their egos feel better. I'm so glad I didn't make him go back to that school & took him out. I'm glad I didn't put my TURST back into that principle. MY TRUST IN THEM SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN BROKEN IN THE FRIST PLACE. My child didn't deserve to be put in that position at all! They failed him & I hope they don't ever fail another child again!

This is geniunely the worst possible school you could send your kids to (especially if they are a…read morepoc/non hawaiian or white). The amount of racial trauma I had endured at this establishment was insane. They unfairly single out students of color, would try to get them in trouble for things other students would do, scream and curse at them, share your personal information to staff in front of the students, and then act like nothing happened. A lady (who was not even a teacher & would wear color contacts) would try to recruit other staff to slutshame me, would only try to get me in trouble even if other students would wear the same thing, and even made comments about what i was wearing when i wasnt even at school. This school is very biased towards certain students, at one point a student was able to complete all their classes virtually while everyone else had to go in person because their parents gave them extra money, but god forbid your midriff accidentally shows. When racism and unfairness were brought to the schools attention they did nothing. Instead they screamed at me until I cried and the lady defended it by saying she has friends who are of color so she cant be racist. At one point at the school a teacher would constantly talk about x related things and drugs but was later removed. Another teacher ended up dating one of their students shortly after they graduated but the school invited them back as a dj for a school event.... Ive been holding this in for awhile but this school was one of the worst decisions I ever made. Please just go somewhere else and I hope they replace the staff or atleast get a cafeteria or gym.

This private school is all smoke in mirrors. The buildings are not cared for- there are broken…read moreblinds, uneven floors and buildings in disrepair that make it look unkempt. Teachers and principals turnover fast because of the very toxic environment and culture. The bullies stay and continue their reign of terror, and the great teachers and leaders have to leave. Teachers talk badly about students and parents in front of other students and parents. There is no transparency of where the tuition money is going. The tuition is very high and there are no repairs done at the school and they can't keep good teachers. What is the problem??? If you send your kids here, you will see for yourself.

Theres a reason for each star taken off... first of all, the track system! Seems like there are so…read moremany breaks! As soon as they got off Thanksgiving break, two weeks later there's another 3wk break... goodness! Although they really don't have a summer, for every 8wks of school you have 3wks of break and then some. The second star was taken off because the amount of fundraising and money it takes to maintain and run this school. I can see that they do take pride in their school and community but it's crazy! From the time school started up to the Xmas break there have already been about 5 fundraisers. Ya, they got a new playground, that did take the first half of the school year to complete (half of it anyways) and sure the school looks in top shape condition, aside the fact that my sons class room a/c was broken for a month or more... As for the good things about this school, education and teachers. My sons teacher, Ms Pascual is Great! So patient, understanding, holds the classroom attention very Well and she is so kind and generous =) I have gone to this school the later part of my elementary years and I enjoyed it. The vice principal and counselor are from Campbell (where I went to high school) and they are also great, so I am glad my son is in this school. I'm sure kapolei has high standards for their students compared to a lot of other elementary schools on the island.

2 stars is for the 1 teacher, VP and counselor that actually tried to help my child's future…read more I wouldn't recommend this school. I highly recommend sending your child to another elementary school near by or somewhere else but here.

ARA does a great job of preparing and developing talented young students for college and the…read moreperforming arts. The classroom ratio is ideal and the academy feels like an extended family. What you may miss from a large school/student body is made up for in program quality and personal interactions. Enough cannot be said about the student performances, staff and swim team. With time I only hope the developing campus presents a more polished and 'clean' appearance to reflect all of the great things happening inside the classrooms and studios.

We love this school! We now have three children attending ARA in 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade. Our…read moreyoungest started four years ago and what a difference a great school makes! We were attracted to this school for these reasons: *100% of the high school graduates received scholarships to colleges. Mostly for academics and swim. *Smaller classroom sizes - to give each child the attention they may need *Longer school hours - we're both working parents and don't need to deal with the stress of after school care * No homework- this is what the longer school days are for and because quality family time is so important after a long day at school/work *Performing arts - starts from kindergarten to work on their confidence, self esteem and public speaking skills *Dedicated and passionate teachers and staff- positive teachers makes for positive early imprinting *Amazing swim program and it just goes on and on! All three of our children are thriving academically and socially. They are all very active on the competitive swim team, hula, ballet, martial arts and voice lessons, all offered at school! I grew up attending a school with about 25-30 students in a classroom so I know what it's like, and I didn't like it. The smaller class sizes is the perfect fit for what we're looking for. A more customizable education tailored for each child's potential. Seeing how much talent has been produced from this small school makes me hold ARA up on a pedestal. We want to give our kids the best opportunity and ARA offers all we can ask for. If you are considering this school for your child, I recommend giving them a call. We're so happy we did!

My son has attended this school for 3 years and I have been pleased with the teachers so far. The…read morenew principal that started in 2016 is a great addition to the school and seems to genuinely care about the students. The STEM program has sparked my son's interest in science and the after school programs have sparked his interest in robotics. The school is on a limited budget, but they make the best of what they have. My only wish is that they could bring more science/nature programs to the younger kids.

My daughter went here since kindergarten and kindergarten in first grade, we're fine but 2nd to 5th…read moregrade. She was really put down by staff and student students. mr. Okumora takes every single boy side and doesn't give my daughter a chance to talk. i'm not saying my daughter's the nicest or the best or the most perfect student, but he would jump to conclusions my daughter had no homework until fifth grade and it's very unorganized and

Hawaii schools are better than I thought they would be. I had heard rumors. When my son first…read morestarted here, he could barely read. After just a month, he was able to read simple books. The aloha spirit is present - the staff is friendly and helpful. My only gripe is I wish there was a school bus from our area to school because the hill can get tiring to walk up and down everyday.

Makakilo swimming pool for swim team class for my 3 daughters... Great instructors and it's free!read more

Teachers are one of the hardest workers you rarely thank…read more My kid attends school here and the teachers really care. I get updates via the seesaw app (available on the apple and google store. Why do I feel like an infomercial? ) I swear teachers never sleep, cause updates are between 10pm and 5am. Thank a teacher cause they help shape the future better then some parents. After reading this, I should attend the upcoming PTA meeting. Weekly as parents, our son get a homework assignment sheets. For us Navy folk, very similar to the POW for homework. There is also a monthly reminder/upcoming events sheet. I like this idea cause it helps me plan for events I would like to attend, in this case the last Ohana Fair. This event is an annual fair held on school grounds. It's a great time for kids and for parents to socialize with other parents. The teachers are out and about but mostly concentrating on running the booth. You don't come here for the food, you come for the stories and smiles. TIP: If you go to the annual Fair, parking is limited. Walk or ride a bike to the place. And if you drive, slow down for the small keikis because we know they like to run out between parked cars. Thank a teacher except the ones that teach CORE math?!?!? They confuse the hell out of me. 2+2=4 people!! Lastly if a teacher is reading this, thank you and stop looking for grammar errors. M

We very much love this school! Faculties at this school provides excellent communication, and…read moreamazing team work to provide families the utmost convenience experience. Although parking lot is one-way, it provides good (and safer) traffic flow and less school congestion. A/C buildings (except cafeteria), ample industrial bike racks in different areas, water fountain with bottle-filling station, all aspects of the school are very clean and well-maintained. I have zero complaints about their education system either. My son hasn't struggled (to the point of exhaustion) and fight me on homework. His teacher is always available to provide extra help should he need it. Lots of field trips allows students to gain knowledge outside of school property and create more fun memories. Very, VERY happy parent here! Mahalo to all faculties of this school for always providing excellency!

This is not for the waipahu campus but for the Ewa Beach (Elementary campus)…read more It's our son's first year with HTA as a kindergartner and we are at the end of the year so we definitely experience the whole school year with HTA. I want to start off with how happy we are that our son attends HTA. It was a great choice and big win. We have older children who go to multiple schools and HTA by far has won us over. The atmosphere and the attention that our son received in school is by far the greatest. The one on one with the student and teacher ratio works out great our kindergartener has excelled in so many ways. He's about to move on to first grade and he already can read books and tell time not only digital time but the wall clock which I remember only learning in the 3rd grade back in the day. He is also able to identify the currency (worth of each coin and what each coin is called) We do noticed a BIG difference in our son's confidence level and not being afraid to speak up and present his animal research to his fellow classmates. The teachers and staff are all so supportive and they are always so kind. They know every child just about by name which is great because they can identify each child's presence which is valuable and also for safety reasons. They also address any concerns or issues right away with the child and parents/ guardians. HTA has great staff who is able to provide support to the children and parents/ guardians. We are thankful that we are able to join our son on his class Field Studies. It is a true blessing to be able to have this experience to be able to understand what our child is learning on a daily basis. They have weekly agendas which keeps us organized and on schedule. We hope you enjoyed our first year experience review with HTA. Having a kind and supportive team makes a GREAT difference! So be nice to the staff members they deserve the Best!!

Bullying,,,, my nefew has experienced "bullying" but they (staff) doesn't want it to be called…read morebullying but I don't understand why, make it make sense to me. My nefew was bullied for his lunch and couldn't eat that day, the next day or two the same kid who is much bigger than him pushed him down and when mom called the school they just flagged her off. He was staying home for a couple of days out of fear and when I grew up this type of topic was handled in a timely fashion and not go on until something else worse happens. I thought schools here was better at handling this type of situation which is a very serious topic.