Uproar over possible charter school move premature, UH officials say

The possible redevelopment of a University of Hawaii land parcel that could potentially displace the nearly century-old University Laboratory School years from now has upset many of the charter school’s supporters, but UH officials believe the uproar has been premature.

A letter sent by “ULS Administration” to parents on Jan. 27 said that UH officials at a Jan. 12 legislative briefing “announced” a “recent development proposal” to revamp the 15-acre UH Manoa parcel bordered by University Avenue, Dole and Metcalf streets, and property lines of residences on Hoonanea Street.

“Redeveloping the property into a mixed residential/commercial area will have a profound 24/7 impact on the community with significantly greater population density, increased vehicular and foot traffic, a change to the look of the neighborhood, safety and security of residents, and the possible displacement of ULS,” the letter said.

The letter encouraged stakeholders to submit written testimony for and attend three neighborhood board meetings this month where UH’s application for an updated “plan review use” permit was expected to be discussed. An alumni group for the school also launched a letter-writing campaign, asking families to contact lawmakers and “Please help to save our school!”

However, UH said in a statement that there was no formal announcement or proposal: “At this time, the University of Hawaii does not have specific or actionable plans to redevelop the property that would necessitate the relocation of the charter school. Any potential redevelopment of the property is years away and the lab school would be provided ample notice.”

UH officials at the meeting said that any talk of the parcel’s future is only in the “vision” stage and is subject to change with the goals of each UH administration over time. If the Lab School, as it is popularly nicknamed, must be relocated, it would be at least five to 10 years away, they said. “This is a non-event as there was no announcement, as has been claimed,” the UH statement added.

The issue of University Laboratory School’s future arose in the midst of the 3-1/2-hour-long joint briefing on Jan. 12 before the state Senate Ways and Means and Higher Education committees. A discussion on the university’s plans for the overall parcel led to questions about University Laboratory School.

University Laboratory School Principal A. Keoni Jeremiah declined requests from the Honolulu Star-­Advertiser for an interview.

A Thursday updated letter to parents, also signed “ULS Administration,” said a meeting is being arranged with UH officials “to get clarity on their future plans and to establish an open line of communication. We believe that this meeting will also provide us the opportunity to reiterate to the University our appreciation for being on the Manoa campus and to hopefully establish a stronger relationship.”

A similar letter on Monday, addressed to alumni and community supporters, and signed by Jeremiah, added: “At this time and for the immediate future, ULS will remain at its current location and ULS will continue to do what we have always done — provide a top-tier education to its students. ULS leadership will continue its work to ensure that we will always have a school, whether that be on the university campus or elsewhere.

“Although we have received assurances from the University that ULS will have a home in the short-term,” Jeremiah’s letter continued, “the long-term development plans of the University remain a lingering concern for ULS and our community.”

The University Laboratory School was built in tandem with the UH College of Education in the 1930s and used to be part of UH. In the 1960s the school became UH’s exclusive site for educational curriculum research and development.

But in August 2001 the school was granted status as a public charter school, and despite its retaining “university” as part of its name and “Jr. Bows” as its mascot, the school assumed independence from UH. The University of Hawaii still owns the land and buildings that the Lab School uses. UH now conducts curriculum research and development in multiple locations around the state, including the school, with which it maintains an affiliation agreement.

Changes to the land parcel actually have been subject to debate and mentioned briefly in various forms in UH’s long-range plan documents for years.

A long-range development plan approved in 2007 and updated in 2009, posted on UH Manoa’s website, for instance, envisions the addition of five new instruction buildings and a two-­level parking structure on the property.

Neither the latest UH long-range development plan, from 2019, nor UH’s six-year capital improvement projects plan outlines major redevelopment plans, however. The school figures into the 2019 plan only where it calls for removal of four Lab School portables and six other nearby structures. “This project is part of the University’s effort to reduce total square footage and reduce deferred maintenance costs associated with aging portable buildings. Occupants will be relocated to existing underutilized facilities and new facilities,” the 2019 plan reads in part.