Judge Won't Block Kaneohe School's Eviction

By Mary Vorsino, Star-Advertiser

POSTED: 05:29 p.m. HST, Jul 30, 2010

Hakipuu Learning Center must be off Hawaii State Hospital grounds by tomorrow night, after a judge today denied granting an injunction seeking to stop the school’s eviction.

More than 50 parents, teachers and students packed a courtroom for the hearing and many cried after a judge didn’t grant a temporary restraining order that would have allowed the school to stay as it pursues a lawsuit against the Department of Health.

Classes at the public charter school start Monday, and school officials say they’ll be held in scattered sites until a permanent site can be found.

Tammy Smith, a teacher at the school, said Hakipuu has been successful school despite tight resources. “Something good, and it’s taken away,” Smith said, tears running down her cheeks.

The Department of Health said it gave the school ample notice to move and needs the space to build a long-term care facility for hard-to-serve patients, including those with severe mental illnesses.