Today, a living history museum on campus shows how the school has progressed from its humble beginnings.
Konawaena High School, located on the slopes of Mauna Loa on Hawai‘i island, celebrated its centennial year in 2021. The name “Konawaena” means “the center of the leeward side.” The area, at the time, was described as having rocky soil, with large piles of pāhoehoe.
The high school’s history traces to the Konawaena School, an elementary school established by H. S. Greenwell in the late 1800s next to the Central Kona Church. Its young students tried their hand at agriculture – growing daikon, beans and corn. In less than two decades, the school population grew to 300 pupils. Julian Yates, the county supervisor, and Bertha Ben Taylor, Supervising Principal of West Hawai‘i Schools, requested funding from the Territorial Legislature for the growing school.
In 1921, the school was expanded to a nine-room school serving Grades 1-9 at its present location. Buildings included a new cafeteria and shop which were constructed with wood from the original school. Cooking, sewing, carpentry, shop, gardening, and later, homemaking were taught. Principal Clyde E. Crawford supported the school as it met many new milestones.
One year later, Konawaena School joined the Big Island Football Federation and saw construction of a new gymnasium – the first on the island – “consisting of a roof, wooden floor, and lots of fresh air.”
A Centennial Edition of the school newspaper summarized the celebratory events organized by the school and alumni.
It was not until 1928 that the school recognized its official mascot and colors as we know them today. The Konawaena Wildcats charged their opponents energetically at a football game against St. Louis High School, on Oahu. As remembered in Konawaena Yesterday and Today, “Konawaena put up a fight worth remembering.” Radio announcer Ezra Crane bestowed the team’s new moniker, exclaiming, “The kids are fighting like wildcats!”[1] Around the same time, the University of Hawai‘i donated jerseys to the squad. Green and white became the official school colors, replacing the blue and white that had been used until then.
With each subsequent year following 1921, the top most class gradually advanced until 1925 when it became Konawaena’s first graduating senior class. The first commencement exercises were held at the school hall on June 9, 1925. The celebration was well attended, featuring music and an address by the Rev. A.H. Gates. These early graduates went on to study at the Territorial Normal School and elsewhere in Honolulu. One graduate stayed to teach at Konawaena High School.
By 1937, Konawaena High School was housed in eleven buildings on 11.8 acres of land. The elementary school accounted for 3 buildings, while the intermediate and high school utilized 6 buildings. All students shared the gymnasium and cafeteria.
Because of the Great Depression, in 1932 Konawaena High School instituted a new schedule aligned with the coffee-picking season. As 90% of the residents in the area worked in the coffee industry, the new schedule shifted the summer vacation months to the fall in order to allow schoolchildren to help their families with coffee-picking through the entire summer. The old “coffee schedule” continued until 1966, when it was abandoned in favor of a traditional four-quarter system conforming with child labor laws.
Konawaena High School and Elementary School separated officially in 1963. The high school and middle school moved to its current campus on Onouli Road in 2000.
The school marked its centennial anniversary in 2021 with a variety of virtual events, including musical performances, interviews with alumni, games and giveaways. A special committee organized a cookbook, t-shirt and livestreamed program to celebrate 100 years of “Wildcat Pride.”
By guest contributor Alison Chiu, LEED AP, Associate and Architectural Historian, Fung Associates, Inc.
The current gymnasium is named after notable Konowaena graduate and NASA astronaut Ellison Onizuka.
The 100th anniversary of Konowaena High School will be commemorated at the 2022 Preservation Honor Awards Ceremony and Reception on October 20, 2022. Click here for information about the event.
Citation:
1Bayne, Kurt, and Wayne Fukunaga, and James Nishimoto, Konawaena Yesterday and Today: A Two Part Factual Report, https://www.konawaenahs.org/uploads/5/0/7/0/50700611/a_two_part_factual_report_-_konawaena_hs__complete_.pdf