Kailua to Punahou School, How long by Car?

[Keith H.]

Re: Kailua to Punahou School, How long by Car?

I am considering moving to Oahu with my family, and my children might go to Punahou and I just wanted to know if I lived in Kailua or Lanikai what would the commute be like? Does that school have a school bus from that area? Sorry for my ignorance. I am just at the stage where I am still learning about things and Kailua seems like a nice place to live, but just maybe a little far during rush hours? I saw on Google Maps that is only 24 minutes, but maybe that is only in the middle of night with no traffic? Just curious since I have heard a lot of people in Oahu complain about the traffic. Does this part of the island also have traffic or is not too bad in these parts?

Ah, memories...I did exactly that commute for seven years (1983 - 1990). I remember waking up at 5:30 to get ready to leave by 6:00 to get to school by 7:30. The first few weeks of school were utter total madness...sometimes an hour to school. It would ease up a little bit as the year progressed, to about 45 minutes.

The commute from the windward side isn't that bad if you compare it with coming in on H-1 from the leeward side. In which case, you'd have to wake up at 5:00...

[cezanne]

Re: Kailua to Punahou School, How long by Car?

I don't think that you can just sign up and pay and go. There's tests ans evaluations and all. And just cause they take one kid in the family doesn't mean they'll take another one.

That is true. A friend of mine whose wife teaches at Punahou was trying to get his two girls in. One made it, the other one has to wait till the next time she's eligible.

Also, the janitor at Punahou has a better chance of getting his kids in than someone with the cash and no previous connections at all to the school.

[craigwatanabe]

Re: Kailua to Punahou School, How long by Car?

I don't think that you can just sign up and pay and go. There's tests ans evaluations and all. And just cause they take one kid in the family doesn't mean they'll take another one.

What a lot of rich Hawaiians do is to take the entrance exam for KSBE as a primer for Punahou. A lot cheaper than Kumon and it gives the Punahou wannabe a good pre-test pre-test.

As for a school bus for Punahou...I don't think you want to put your kids thru the laughing stock there. If you ain't rich you'll be mocked. Heck I used to get mocked at Kalani High School (Poor man's Punahou or the Punahou rejects as we call ourselves) when my mom picked me up in our 1965 Plymouth Valiant!

And remember the richer the school, the more parent participation required (e.g. Punahou Carnival) so be prepared to do some parent volunteerism.

[buzz1941]

Re: Kailua to Punahou School, How long by Car?

And remember the richer the school, the more parent participation required (e.g. Punahou Carnival) so be prepared to do some parent volunteerism.

One of our editors who had kids at Pun was always doing stuff for the school. "What can I do?" he'd shrug. "They're holding my children!"