ENGAGE • EMPOWER • INSPIRE

To Transform Lives and the World

January 7, 2018

Dear Students, Parents, and Alumni of Saint Francis School,

It is with deep regret and sadness to inform you that after 94 years of providing a quality,
Catholic education to children in Hawaii, Saint Francis School will cease operating its Middle
School and Upper School, grades 7-12, following the graduations of the Senior and 8th grade
classes in May 2019.

The Board’s decision to close the Middle and Upper Schools was a very difficult one made
in the best interests of all of our students. Every resource and opportunity was considered and
discussed at length. Despite our best efforts, it became apparent that the school would not be able
to continue to operate all grade levels at the same high-quality level after this academic year.

Rather than closing or reducing its services for all students, the Board’s goal is to continue
operating the Preschool through 6th grade program, enrollment permitting. In order to accomplish
this goal, we are exploring all opportunities to allow the school to continue its mission of providing
our future students with a high-quality Catholic education at affordable tuition rates. If enrollment
targets are not met and we are forced to permanently cease operations for all grade levels, an
announcement will be made by March 31, 2019. We are working to avoid this if at all possible.

We are asking you, as the key stakeholders, to help us accomplish our goal, whether it be
by way of monetary contributions, volunteering of your time, enrolling your child for the next
school year if they are currently Pre-K through 5th grade, encouraging others to enroll or in any
other way. With our collective support and efforts, we can remake the future of the New Saint
Francis as a state-of-the-art school for our Pre-K through 6th grade children.

The Sisters of Saint Francis of the Neumann Communities have been very generous over
the years in financially assisting the school, but can no longer afford to do so after this year. Saint
Francis School wishes to express its deep gratitude to the Sisters and the entire Saint Francis School
‘ohana for their support and commitment throughout the years. We are truly humbled and honored
to have been afforded the privilege of serving the Hawaiʻi community for nearly a century in
educating its keiki.

In the coming weeks, more information will be forthcoming regarding the closure of the
two school divisions. In the meantime, please see below for a schedule of opportunities to meet
with, talk to, and ask questions of the Board members and Head of School.

• January 8, 2019 (Tuesday), 8:30 a.m.

Students, faculty, and staff meet with Board members and Head of School at an
all-school morning assembly in the gym.

• January 9, 2019 (Wednesday), 3:30 p.m.

Parents meet with Board members and Head of School in the gym.

• January 10, 2019 (Thursday), 3:30 p.m.

Alumni meet with Board members and Head of School in the MPR of the gym.

Sincerely,

Randall M. L. Yee
Chair, Board of Directors

Saint Francis School • 2707 Pamoa Road • Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96822

808.988.4111 • info@stfrancis-oahu.org • www.stfrancis-oahu.org