Pahoa principal named finalist for $25,000 Tokioka award

Principal Michelle Payne-Arakaki of Pahoa Elementary School was named a finalist for the 2016 Masayuki Tokioka Excellence in School Leadership Award.

One Hawaii public school principal will receive $25,000 (a $10,000 personal cash award and $15,000 to go toward a school project of his or her choice). The recipient of this year’s award will be announced at the Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation dinner April 21 in Honolulu.

The award, named after Island Insurance founder Masayuki Tokioka, is underwritten by the Island Insurance Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Island Insurance. Twelve public school principals from across the state are finalists for the award, which recognizes their efforts to provide high-quality learning opportunities for their students.

Payne-Arakaki has been principal of Pahoa Elementary for five years. Although the school is recognized in the top 20 percent of elementary schools in the state and as the third in elementary schools on Hawaii Island, the Pahoa Complex also has the second-highest percentage of disadvantaged students. While responding to the socioeconomic needs of the student population, Payne-Arakaki also was able to provide normalcy and minimal learning interruption when the school faced a series of natural disasters in 2014 and 2015.

In 2014, Tropical Storm Iselle and Hurricane Julio blocked access to the school and caused power outages that lasted for weeks. During this time, toiletry items such as soap, shampoo and toothpaste were provided and the school’s gym shower facility was available for faculty, students and their families.

Then in 2015, the school stood directly in the path of the Puna lava flow. The temporary closing of schools meant reconfiguring school districts and diverting students and personnel. Despite the challenges the school faced during these times, students lost only eight instructional days and the school continued to maintain its high performance standards.