Potential work transfer to Kapolei with 3 kids - neighborhoods/schools-the usual quesitons (Honolulu: 2015)

[creativemama]

I've seen many people ask about moving with kids, most have work in Honolulu, though, so the recommendations didn't seem applicable to our situation.
We have a potential work relocation for my husband to Kapolei. We have some reservations, mostly the reputation of the schools in Hawaii as a whole and the sticker shock of private. We have 3 children, two school-aged (would be 3rd and 5th at move time) and one in Montessori preschool. We currently live in an area with high performing schools that are a highly supportive and have so far been a positive environment for our kids, a friendly neighborhood, and a 30-40min commute.

I have been scouting out homes, just to see what is out there in the Kapolei, Ewa and up to Mililani... but have no frame of reference of what the area is really like - people-wise/traffic-wise/school-wise... We would be seeking kid-friendly neighborhood with good schools and a not awful commute-and hopefully friendly people Another bit would be any info on youth soccer - what the soccer "climate" is like - super competitive? Better leagues in one place over another?


Would love some insight, appreciate your time!

[Mikala43]

Kapolei and Ewa are a basic suburban area. Old ewa is just that, old and more crime, but new developments like Hoakalei are pretty upscale, golf course, rec centers etc. Lots of neighborhood parks, movie nights, all that community building stuff. It is also being developed into more of a resort area. Kapolei is more of the "town" area with surrounding subdivisions.

I don't know about elementary schools, but you can check out rankings on line.

I think everyone plays soccer here, but I don't know the differences in leagues or areas.

The schools are pretty over crowded out here, but I think that is more of a problem with the high schools.

Check out crime maps too before choosing a location, it can vary quite a bit.

[oceanus]

The biggest issue for many is the cost of living. I moved here from the mainland and honestly I wouldn't move a family of 5 here unless I was making over $100k. Everything is more expensive here.

I don't know anything about the schools here, but you are not alone in your concerns about the school system.

Traffic is a problem all over the Island. I would never recommend this Island to someone who didn't have patience for traffic. Too many people, not enough land.

Most of Eva Beach and Kapolei feel a lot like a typical mainland suburb. Newer homes and businesses. Its the hottest part (temperature) of the Island and its notorious for having a hellish commute to Honolulu. Many people have to leave before 5am to get to work on time in town.

Actually Mililani is a nice little town, a lot cooler in the summers and central to most of the Island. If I were raising kids (who were originally from the mainland) and had $100k in income I'd be shopping for a house in Mililani Mauka. Traffic is not too bad there, and has a nice bedroom neighborhood feel that is typical of many American suburbs.

Bottom line: Be prepared to spend a lot to live here. And live as close to work as possible. Bring your patience, kindness and humility or you will get frustrated here.

Many mainlanders leave within 5 years for various reasons. Dreamy beach life only lasts so long before reality sets in.

[flipsidem]

We relocated to Ewa Beach last summer.

The people out in Ewa Beach and Kapolei are a mix of lots of income levels and cultural backgrounds. If you are white, you will be a minority in either community. I would say that Kapolei skews more toward higher income and Ewa Beach skews more towards lower. Neither are what I would consider affluent communities. The rich folks live in other places on the island.

One of our two children goes to a private school, and the other goes to the public school where my wife is a teacher. The state of the public schools is a legitimate concern. My impression is that most elementary schools are ok, and things get progressively worse as you move up through middle and high school. Don’t take this lightly. The state of the public schools is a legitimate concern.

Traffic is pain in the butt, but a lot of people that post on here (and probably don’t even really drive to the west side that much) make it out to be worse than it really is. Getting back to the west side in the afternoon is worse than getting to “town”. I only have to go as far as the airport on my commute, so it isn’t that bad. I drop a kid off at school and drive to work in the morning and it usually takes about 30 minutes from the school in Kapolei. Going home usually takes about 50 minutes. Having to go all the way to Iroquois Point adds about 10 minutes. If we lived in West Loch, or even Makakilo or Kapolei it would probably be more like a 35-40 minute commute home on most days. Ft Weaver Road is a pain. The traffic signals change at about half the frequency of what I would consider normal, and it causes traffic problems. If you get stopped at a fresh red light at any intersection on Ft Weaver Road, you might as well pull out your knitting needles. There are occasional days when a really bad accident happens on the freeway and it takes an extra 30 minutes or so. The areas east of the airport can have some really, really slow traffic during rush hour. The traffic here is worse than plenty of places on the mainland, but it is similar to most major metro areas I have been to. My impression is that people here drive slower and friendlier than people in metro areas on the mainland. If your husband has a job opportunity that will allow you to live on the west side and not have to commute to the east, that is a plus.

The conclusion that I have reached regarding Hawaii and what people say about Hawaii is that, in general, what you hear is true, to some extent.

[Mikala43]

If you are white you will be a minority in almost all communities.

I live in Ewa and in our part of the community it is almost all white, I am a token tinted. New home prices are in the 900K range with smaller home around 700K.

Average home price for both Kapolei and Ewa are about the same, with Ewa having the higher projected growth by a small margin.

[aloha_joann]

Aloha! I live in Kapolei and moved here last year. We have everything we need here, there's AYSO Leeward, soccer games held every Saturday at Kapolei Regional Park, just across from the public library on Manawai St. A newer school, built in 2015, Ho'okele Elementary School, which is a K-5 public school. Since Kapolei is being groomed to be Oahu's second city, there are newer business establishments that have been built and are being built- we have Costco, Walmart, Target, Kroc Center ( a large community center for various activities). Just recently, the Kamakana'ali Mall just opened, housing Macy's, a food court, and various retail stores. Though ratings you would see for schools maybe average, and I know a lot of parents think about the school district, if you feel the schools here in Kapolei are not at par with the private schools you have been to, would you consider a blended learning style of education? A charter school I know of is Hawaii Technology Academy- classes are two types, one virtual, and one face to face. They learn independently for those times they are at home doing virtual classes, while, 2x a week, they are in school for face to face and intervention days. HTA is a charter school, I suggest you look it up, too.. Ho'okele Elementary School follows common core state standards, plus a Hawaiian class, which, I think is great, to immerse the kids and learn the culture while they are here in the islands.

Housing inventory comes and goes, as it is with the whole Aloha State. Depending on your price range, bedroom count, there are plenty to choose from- condos, townhomes, single family homes. Soon, a new community of single family homes, condos, townhomes will be built near Kroc Center, and that will add to the inventory, of course. An older part of Kapolei is Makakilo, there is lower and upper Makakilo. Great views of Honolulu from here! We had the best view of NYE's fireworks up from the St. Jude's Church- we parked and waited for the simultaneous fireworks display. It was crazy to see how clear and bright the sky was from the fireworks. It was crazy!

Nearby is Ko'olina, a good 5-10 minute drive, where sunsets are the best, whether you view it from Aulani or the Marriott. My family loves going to town, and even on weekdays,we would go to Waikiki to do a night stroll. No matter what they say about traffic in Oahu, nothing beats the traffic in LA where we came from! So, it's all a matter of perspective