My children attend the University Laboratory School (ULS), a highly esteemed K-12 public charter school located at the University of Hawaii campus in Manoa, Honolulu. It has provided them with an exceptional education, enabling them to flourish academically and socially. However, the University of Hawaii is now proposing to redevelop the entire campus block that houses the College of Education, UH Mānoa Children's Center Preschool and ULS.

The current plan clears the University Laboratory School campus to make way for a shopping and entertainment complex. 

"The vision is to redevelop the entire block, including the future use of the Laboratory school would not be on that site."
- Kalbert Young, University of Hawaii Chief Financial Affairs Officer

The University Laboratory School has a long-standing history of excellence in education. It is consistently ranked among Hawaii's top schools, demonstrating remarkable achievements in nurturing talented students who contribute positively to their communities. ULS's unique environment fosters not only academic achievement but also crucial life skills, ensuring that students graduate as well-rounded individuals prepared to tackle the challenges of the future.

Despite its undeniable success, the university has failed to share its plans regarding ULS's future. The lack of transparency only amplifies the anxiety and uncertainty for families like mine, who depend heavily on the unique opportunities that ULS offers. It is not only a school but a second home for our children.

As the leading higher education institution in the state, the University of Hawaii should not undermine educational partnerships and opportunities. Instead, it should prioritize and preserve them, especially when they have consistently proven beneficial to Hawaii's educational landscape.

We call upon the University of Hawaii to clearly communicate its plans for the site and to ensure the continued operation of ULS on the campus. The university needs to show its commitment to education and not put monetary profits before the well-being of our keiki.  

I ask you to support us in urging university and government officials to commit to transparency and accountability in this matter. Please sign this petition to help secure the future of a beloved and vital educational institution in our community and stop commercial developers from profiting off of our keiki’s futures. 

Learn more how you can help: SaveULS.org

About University Laboratory School:

University Laboratory School (ULS) is a unique and special organization.
Our charter school serves two interlocking missions: to design and deliver the best possible education to our own students, and to serve the educational research and development community as a seedbed for curriculum research and development. ULS is focused in part on supporting educational research and development, and disseminating educational materials and improvement strategies. With our heterogeneous classes, emphasis on innovation and research, and provision of ongoing professional development for in-service and pre-service educators, our school serves as an experimental site for teaching, learning, and assessment in grades K–12.

ULS rates high among the state’s schools in academic achievement and participation in extracurricular activities. Our students consistently earn awards in competitions in the arts, music, writing, and speech, and also earn consistently high scores on standardized and other tests. Almost all of our graduates go on to post-secondary education.

We operate in partnership with the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s (UHM) College of Education (COE), serving as a laboratory for researching, developing, and evaluating innovative approaches to improving teaching, learning, and assessment. Over the past 50 years, the ULS-COE partnership has produced exemplary programs in science, mathematics, English, Pacific and Asian Studies, marine studies, environmental studies, Hawaiian and Polynesian studies, Japanese language and culture, music, nutrition, art, drama, technology, health and computer education that are used by schools in Hawai‘i, the U.S. and other countries.

ULS is a special focus school of choice, and parents must be willing to accept the mission of the school and agree that their child will participate fully in all components of the ULS-COE research and educational programs. All products produced by students, imagery of all types, and data concerning all Laboratory School students belong to ULS and COE and may be used for research, publication, dissemination, and recordings.