KEALAKEKUA, KONA, HAWAII – The Interim Local School Board of Kona Pacific Public Charter School has been awarded a grant of $164,000 by the United States Department of Education for research, development and implementation of a new charter school inspired by Waldorf education. If the first year of development is successful, the school will receive another $148,000 for a second year of implementation.

The implementation funding is contingent upon award of a charter by Hawaii's Charter Schools Review Panel. The CSRP is currently in process of reviewing charter applications and is expected to announce charter awards by January 2008 at the latest.