BY ERIN MILLER | WEST HAWAII TODAY
A popular Waimea school administrator will be taking on a temporary assignment at his former school.
John Colson, most recently Waimea Middle School’s principal and who spent 25 years at Hawaii Preparatory Academy, will be HPA’s acting director of development beginning March 1, the school announced late Wednesday.
HPA officials contacted Colson, he said, “when the headmaster found out the board (at Waimea Middle School) was not going to invite me back.”
Colson declined to comment further on the situation with Hookakoo, the board that governs the charter school.
He was able to meet with middle school students Wednesday, and said he will continue to visit the school once a week.
“It’s kind of bittersweet,” Colson said. “They were excited but sad. They’re good kids.”
Colson was first hired at HPA in 1979 as a counselor and coach. He taught for 11 years before being named headmaster in 1991, a position he held until 2003.
“Having a gentleman of John’s stature join our administrative team is not an opportunity that comes around every day,” HPA Headmaster Lindsay Barnes said. “This is not an opportunity I would have predicted, but it’s one we were ready to explore when it was confirmed that John was available.”
emiller@westhawaiitoday.com
BY ERIN MILLER | WEST HAWAII TODAY
A popular Waimea school administrator will be taking on a temporary assignment at his former school.
John Colson, most recently Waimea Middle School’s principal and who spent 25 years at Hawaii Preparatory Academy, will be HPA’s acting director of development beginning March 1, the school announced late Wednesday.
HPA officials contacted Colson, he said, “when the headmaster found out the board (at Waimea Middle School) was not going to invite me back.”
Colson declined to comment further on the situation with Hookakoo, the board that governs the charter school.
He was able to meet with middle school students Wednesday, and said he will continue to visit the school once a week.
“It’s kind of bittersweet,” Colson said. “They were excited but sad. They’re good kids.”
Colson was first hired at HPA in 1979 as a counselor and coach. He taught for 11 years before being named headmaster in 1991, a position he held until 2003.
“Having a gentleman of John’s stature join our administrative team is not an opportunity that comes around every day,” HPA Headmaster Lindsay Barnes said. “This is not an opportunity I would have predicted, but it’s one we were ready to explore when it was confirmed that John was available.”
emiller@westhawaiitoday.com