Our Story

Area History

Barbers Point Elementary School (BPES) is located on the southwestern tip of the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The area is presently known as Kalaeloa, the Hawaiian word for long cape or head land, a name with historical significance before the arrival of western influence. The present name change is due to the closure of NAS Barbers Point in the summer of 1999. The school remains relatively the same but the surrounding community has undergone drastic changes to reflect a progression from an agarian community to the coming of the "second city" complete with shopping malls, theaters, and even a water park.

Originally, Barbers Point was named after Captain Henry Barber whose ship ran aground at Kalaeloa on October 31,1796, on a journey back from the island of Kauai.

History of Barbers Point Elementary School

Prior to 1954, Barbers Point School was a K - 8 Department of Defense school which educated school children from military families. The Hawaii Department of Education established Barbers Point Elementary School in 1954. In 1989, a reception with former staff was held in celebration of 35 years in existence. A time capsule was buried beneath a commemorative ceramic scupture. In 1999, we will dug up this time piece and found out how life had changed in 10 years.

Barbers Point Elementary

Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Accredited

Barbers Point Elementary has been accredited by the WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) since 1987. Barbers Point Elementary is proud to be the first public elementary school to become accredited by WASC. The current six year term of accreditation ended in the 2010-2011 school year. The school prepared for another journey of the accreditation process. As part of this process, focus groups comprised of faculty and staff worked on the Focus on Learning Self-Study Report. A Visiting Committee from WASC reviewed this in-depth document and conducted a 4 day school visit in the spring of 2011. The School's Action Plan was revised to integrate the committee's recommendations. The WASC Accreditation Committee awarded the school with a six year term through June, 2017.

BPES Today

Nestled in the back area of Kapolei, Barbers Point Elementary is a school filled with hope, love and compassion. With a population of about 550 students, BPES may not seem large but comes with many challenges. A little less than 70% of our students come from low socio-economic households, many of which are homeless. Our school has a transiency rate of almost 50%, in addition to 10% of our students English language learners and 15% of students that have special needs.

Combine these factors with statewide budget cuts, and escalating academic standards and you've got a recipe for failure – except we refuse to fail. In fact, our state scores have increased over the past 3 years. Our dedicated and passionate staff can often be found tutoring students before and after school, writing grants such as Donorschoose for classroom supplies and working with local companies for donations to help with classroom incentives.

While many school’s biggest concern is who will teach PE, we are tasked with finding sneakers so our kids can participate. Through shoe, clothes and food drives, our staff are able to provide basic needs to our students and families. As our school slogan this year states, it takes a village and it truly does.

If you come to our campus during a family curriculum night, you will find our staff volunteering their time to serve dinner to more than 400 family members followed by families and staff playing academic games and bonding together. When people come on our campus they often comment about how happy and compassionate our students are.

At BPES we strive to ensure our students feel proud, loved and are provided a rigorous education that meets each individuals needs.

Generously spaced within our school grounds are the NASA Challenger Center, a Hawaiian garden, an Art gallery, and two playgrounds complete with a baseball field, a basketball court and an assortment of playground apparatus. Our students arrive via bus transportation from areas near Mauka Lani, Makakilo, and Honokai Hale as well as Barbers Point. Found on a campus of 9 buildings linked by a covered lanai are 7 wings of classrooms, an administration/ library and a cafeteria. Some unique sites on campus are the Hawaiian Garden, Challenger Center, Wall Murals, and the Ray Mitsuyoshi Art Gallery. Residents of our military and civilian community support the school in a variety of ways. Our School Community Based Management council joins the efforts of parents and teachers to provide the students with a caring and supportive environment conducive to learning. Our students have an impressive selection of activities to participate in. Scholars, athletes, and aspiring artists and singers have a multitude of opportunities to realize their dreams.