Sharon Beck of Ka‘u High and Pahala Elementary recently was named the 17th annual state Department of Education’s Top Principal in the state by Island Insurance Foundation.
For the last 17 years, Beck has dedicated herself to the rural community and the campus.
“I’ve been here so long I’ve taught some of their parents,” she told the Tribune-Herald during a visit to the 33-acre campus.
Kids from grades K-12 stopped to say, “Hi, Miss Beck!” and congratulations on her award.
“I fell in love with this community, with this school, and I wanted to keep helping,” she said.
The award includes $25,000, which Beck will use to purchase Olivia devices for students. The SIM-card technology allows for continuous internet connectivity and comes preloaded with videos, eBooks and educational software students can access at home and on campus.
“We started small with a pilot of 12 students, and with this money, I’m hoping to expand it,” she said. “We’ll be able to help more kids and get parents more involved in their learning.”
Improving access to resources has been a priority for Beck since she started teaching in Ka‘u in 1992.
“There was still a sugar plantation then, so everything here was in town,” she said. “But in 1996 when the plantation closed, there was a mourning period where people didn’t know what they were going to do.”
Looking for work, families left for Hilo or Kona, while others moved to Ocean View for affordability.
“About three-quarters (of students) still come from Ocean View, so they have long drives, and many of their parents work in Kona, so they have to get to the bus stop by themselves,” she said. “Our number one struggle is chronic absenteeism because of how far our students travel.”
But distance isn’t the only challenge.
Nearly 37% of Ka‘u residents live below the poverty line, with a median household income of $43,697, compared to the state’s average of $84,857. And only about 12% of residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
To help, Beck prioritizes community-based experiences to prepare students for life after school.
She helped establish a grant-funded program where students participate in paid internships with local businesses, a dual credit program with Hawaii Community College where students earn between 12 and 24 college credits, and a Career and Technical Education, or CTE program, where students develop their own businesses on campus.
In 2020, students launched businesses for lilikoi butter, carved ohia and wooden jewelry using supplies from campus.
Her leadership also revamped the school’s agriculture program, which includes a native plant nursery, livestock, macadamia nut trees, and a farm manager position.
“The kids really learn about sustainability here,” she said. “In Ka‘u, there’s not many job opportunities, so if you can be self-employed and give back to the community, that’s the real goal.”
Students learn conventional, hydroponic and organic farming techniques to grow carrots, lettuce, kale, pumpkins and more.
“Kids take what they grow home, or we take it to the senior center,” she said. “We even sell to KTA.”
Students have access to a commercial kitchen and an imu (oven) where they prepare food from the garden for concessions during athletic games.
Those games take place in the school’s state-of-the-art gym, a $17 million structure finished in 2014 that doubles as a shelter for earthquakes, tsunamis and when vog levels are too high.
The school recently opened an “innovation lab,” as well, with 3D printers, computers, a green screen and other technology.
“Our test scores might not look like other schools,” Beck said. “But we have these work-based experiences, the dual credits, the industry certifications.”
Beck thanked the 51 teachers on staff for their support, as well as an office crew that consists mainly of alumni.
“It’s a lot of work and our students come with many challenges, so our teachers and staff work hard,” she said. “We’re really a team, we’re family.”
The feeling is mutual.
“I’ve worked with Sharon for the last 17 years, and she’s always backed teachers and supported us in any way she can,” said Matt Roddy, a physical education teacher at Ka‘u High. “The kids really like her, too. She’s fair to all of the students and always supports them with whatever needs they have.”
Gia MarajaLove is a CTE teacher on campus who also spoke highly of Beck’s leadership.
“Sharon is such an empathetic person, she puts herself out on behalf of the students and teachers,” she said. “She’s also a very people-oriented person, which I think is priceless when you’re a principal.”
Beck is looking ahead at future projects and goals for the campus, including a preschool coming in 2025. She also hopes to secure funding for a new building for middle school students.
But challenges remain, like the school’s status as a Comprehensive Support and Improvement school, or CSI, which means it performs in the bottom 5% of the state.
The status requires the school to draft 30-, 60- and 90-day plans that the DOE reviews during monthly visits.
“We’ll keep doing these plans until we’re out of that CSI level,” Beck said. “But, really, these kids are amazing, and these programs give them the confidence in themselves, and in their learning, to help them develop a path for their future.”
Email Grant Phillips at gphillips@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
