
Admissions
School Year
2023 - 2024
The application for school year 2023-2024 is now open.
Priority Deadline: January 31, 2023
Licensed by the State of Hawaiʻi, Mālamapōkiʻi is a fully accredited program that provides a Hawaiian culture, values, and place-based program aligned with age-appropriate pre-school standards. Applications received after the admissions deadline are considered on a space-available basis and placed on a waitlist. Accepted students will be notified in writing.
Application Process:
-Apply Online
-You will be contacted to schedule an interview.
– Admission is based on the space available in each class.
– Students selected will receive an admission acceptance letter.
– Return signed acceptance letter with $100 non-refundable deposit
– Complete and return welcome packet paperwork
School Year and Hours of Operation:
Mālamapōkiʻi follows a 10-month school calendar, beginning at 7:30 am – 2:15 pm Monday through Thursday; and beginning at 7:30 am – 12 pm on Fridays.
If you have any questions or concerns call the Mālamapōkiʻ Office at 808-887-1117 or email malamapokii@kalo.org

Who May Apply
Mālamapōkiʻi welcomes all keiki who would like to attend in the following age groups:
- 3-year-old class: children who are 3-years-old by July 31, 2023
- 4-year-old class: children who are 4-years-old by July 31, 2023
Requirements
Health Requirements
- An annual physical exam by a medical doctor.
- TB clearance. (No student can enter a public school for the first time without TB clearance)
- Department of Health required immunizations for preschool. Immunizations must meet the minimum age and intervals between vaccine doses.
Other Requirements
- Keiki must be fully toilet trained before admittance. This means your keiki can verbalize his/her needs and use the toilet without assistance.
- Parent/Guardian or designee MUST attend Virtual Parent and Child Time Together (PACT) monthly,
- Monthly tuition is $900.00 per month.

Child Care subsidies:
Child Care subsidies are available through the following programs:
- Child Care Connection Hawaii (CCCH) using a sliding fee scale for families meeting income eligibility requirements. For more information, contact Child Care Connections at 855-643-1643 or Child Care Hawaii
- Preschool Open Doors (POD) using a sliding fee scale for families meeting income eligibility requirements. For more information, contact Patch at 1-800-746-5620 or Patch Hawaii.
- Native Hawaiian keiki may also apply for financial assistance through the Pauahi Keiki Scholars (PKS) preschool scholarship. For more information, contact the KS Resource Center-West Hawaiʻi at 322-5400 or KSBE Financial Aid. Kamehameha Schools Pauahi Keiki Scholars (PKS) scholarship applications are due December 1, 2022
Common F.a.q
The lottery is a random computer function that is tied to Admissions’ database. It is an automated process. Lists are run by the preschool applied to, the “grade” level (e.g., P3 or P4) and gender.
Using a lottery offers several advantages. It is an unbiased and completely objective way to select students, all students are considered equally, and it simplifies the admissions process because applicants do not have to be tested or observed.
All applicants not selected for admission to Mālamapōkiʻi preschool are placed on the waitlist and ranked in order by which they applied. Waitlist ranking information is confidential.
If a selected student declines the invitation to attend, or disenrolls after the school year begins, children in the wait pool will be offered admission (in order of their lottery rank).
The competitive nature of admission to our preschool is due to the increasing numbers of children seeking enrollment. Each year the number of applications received exceeds the number of available spaces.