Paia Elementary School

THIS IS AN AMAZING SCHOOL! Paia Elementary has somehow managed to change it's ranking from one of the worst on Maui to one of the best in four short years. The principle, Susan Alivado, has done an exceptional job of updating the classrooms with the necessary tools for learning while at the same time keeping so much of the tradition alive. It is a very small school (one class per grade) with each class usually being under 20 kids. I love the individual care this allows. There is A LOT of parent involvement. The children that attend are generally from working class families...with the "wealthy" attending private schools - which there are a ton of on the island. I actually have friends that have pulled their kids from the private schools and are now attending Paia Elementary because of the wonderful experience I have had and shared with them. None of them have plans on returning to the expensive private schools...unfortunately, they are all spreading the word to their friends. (When my son started three years ago, he had 15 kids in his class....this year my daughter's kindergarten class is around 21.) I will be carefully watching and actively participating in how Paia Elementary deals with this growth. Keeping tradition alive (like the "Oli" - a Hawaiian chant sung every morning before entering the school) while ensuring our childrens' education is cutting edge will be a difficult balance, but I believe our excellent administration, staff and student body are up to the challenge!