The Human Perspective

When speaking to parents in admissions sessions, I typically explain Mid-Pacificʻs unique history as bringing different learning communities together — Mills Institute, Kawaiahaʻo Seminary, and three other small missionary-founded groups of mostly Asian students. These five distinct communities of adolescents sharing a Christian heritage formed Mid-Pacific in 1908. A century later, Mid-Pacific added Epiphany Episcopal School in 2004, bringing children ages 3-11 to Mānoa. These are the facts. Missing though are the human elements that make the story a compelling narrative and unique history. In this blog, a discussion of these aspects of a school merger that arenʻt often shared.

The business of school functions on basically two levels (as I see it) — 1) governance and operations dealing with finance and 2) the educational program directed by the head of school who also works with a faculty. In this particular narrative, the Epiphany Board of Directors needed to focus on the financial aspects of a merger. How to take care of the schoolʻs financial liabilities, which included its obligations to the Church of the Epiphany. How to separate the school from its lease of five houses adjacent to the school and which were owned by a private owner. How to assist the church in finding a lessor who would be able to lease the school facilities to ensure an income stream for the church.

At the program level, the possibility of a merger was more emotional. My first thoughts were about displacing 150 students and families who had been loyal to Epiphany School as parishioners or lived in the surrounding neighborhood or were 2nd- or 3rd-generation families of Epiphany School. I was concerned about the faculty and staff, job loss, and the impact of this disruption to their own families. I was all the more worried about the impending end of an educational program that had recently delved into some very progressive thinking about multiage learning and an inquiry approach. It was such an exciting decade that would have given rise to deeper learning as it is practiced in many progressive schools nationally and internationally, and especially right here at Mid-Pacific.

The unknowns gnawed at me daily while managing the daily work of teaching and learning. And while it may have felt that everything was happening all at once, this merger process spanned at least two years, preceded by the warning signs of a slowly decreasing enrollment. The Epiphany Board discussed admissions, budget, and facilities while I reported on the educational program. It wasnʻt until about 2001 that discussions concerning school governance in relation to church governance and financial oversight prompted considerations about the program. The sixth grade had the lowest enrollment, so was it feasible to maintain this grade level? What if sixth graders could be admitted to “receiving” schools without having to undergo an admissions process? What if sixth grade was merged with another school but retained kindergarten to fifth grade? What if Epiphany School became an independent school?

I recall one particular event when Epiphany School parents would meet regularly as a parent group. At this meeting, the Board had moved further along the prospect of closing the school and merging with another school, although the school had not yet been identified. As you would imagine, the parents were very concerned, very worried, very upset about the notion of change and closure. The executive director of the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools at the time, aware of this development, recommended that Dr. Rob Evans, a national consultant for schools facing the challenges of change (organizational structure, program, leadership, etc.) speak to the Epiphany parents. One of the most important things I learned from Dr. Evans was the effect of informational gaps or the absence of communication as a major contributing factor to unrest, dissatisfaction, anxiety, and lack of trust. More than listening without judgment to the parent grievances, he was empathetic and spoke plainly to acknowledge their fears. This was the first of several meetings I facilitated with parents, each time filling in the gaps with information about the process. Two years later and to my amazement, all the Epiphany families chose Mid-Pacific as the school where their children would continue their education.

 

What about the students and the faculty in this process? These main characters will be the subjects of upcoming blogs. Here are previous blogs I’ve written about the merger if you’re interested in following the narrative.

• 1/5/26 Rising Opportunity
• 1/12/26 So Many Challenges

E Kūlia Kākou! Letʻs strive and aspire together!

For our children,

Edna L. Hussey, Ed.D.
Principal