Pukalani Elementary School

Really great school! My kids love the teachers. You can tell the teachers really care. My daughter loved Ms. Brask and my son adored Ms. Zickuhr. All the teachers are helpful and concerned. They could give more homework to challenge is my only concern.

The principal is not warm, friendly, nor receptive to parental involvement and despite what another reviewer (the Principal) wrote, Pukalani does not have drama. PE and Art are taught by the classroom teachers. If you have a choice between Pukalani and Makawao, choose Makawao.

Just as an update to all the reviews below. There is a new principal at this school as of last school year. She has a background in Special Ed, so you can expect an administrator who knows about your child's special needs. The PTA is very strong and though the school does not have an overflowing budget, I view the community and administration as pulling together to provide additional programs, such as PE, Hawaiian Studies, Robotics, Art, Dance, Drama, and this year an emphasis on Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math. The School is also, as of last year, the only school on Maui that received a grant for the Leader in Me program, which encourages and provides opportunities in student leadership for all students. This school is in its second year, but the change in self-directed students taking on leadership roles is astounding. Lastly, as of last year, there is a new cafeteria manager who cares immensely about what he does and what food he provides. Pukalani also received a grant for the Fresh Fruit/Vegetable of the Week program, so each week students get to learn about & try a different fruit/veg to promote healthy eating!

If you have a special needs child, good luck getting help... Most of the teachers here are very good... not much extra activities... such as PE, Band. No male teachers.

If your child is a good student they will do well here as they probably would at many schools. But, the programs are few (very limited PE and computers as compared to other schools in area, no band/instruments, only occasional other programs), little to no emphasis on creativity when learning, seems teaching/priority to the standardized tests. Also, the administration is EXTREMELY difficult to work with especially for those families of children with special needs or with children of challenges (this is well-known among the families with these children and the professionals in the area.) You WILL have a very difficult time getting what you need from this principal for a special needs child. Regarding teachers our child had a couple VERY good teachers and some poor ones. We've been on mainland for last few years and son has had a much better experience at current school. Aside from a few really good teachers which we will always remember, still much room for improvement at this school, mostly by admin. Families of special needs kids should seriously reconsider.