Ryan Omine, a first-grade teacher at Momilani Elementary School, teaches in a large classroom of 60 students and two other teachers.

It is a technique called team teaching that has spread throughout the school of about 400 students.

"It can be a little overwhelming, at first," said Omine. "But it works." Omine, Dawn Kanoho and Lisa Nishihara share the same first-grade class — and the students — taking turns teaching in areas of their individual strengths.

"We feed off each other," said Kanoho. And students benefit by getting the best each teacher has to offer.

The technique, deemed an "experiment" by principal Doreen Higa, appears to be working. Not only has the school been recognized nationally as a Blue Ribbon School twice in the last eight years, but it is consistently near the top when it comes to state test scores.

Higa took the reins of Momilani in 1989 when it was a 188-student neighborhood school near Pearl City High School. Five years and two threats of closure later, the school had increased its enrollment to what it is today.

"We didn't really do anything, per se," said Higa. But the truth is, Higa won't take deserved credit for refocusing the institution, said Lance Nishihara, school counselor.

Together, Higa and Nishihara adopted a schoolwide focus on character development, stressing values such as honesty, integrity, respect and responsibility.

The school developed a reputation for the quality of its academics and its family-oriented community that brought in a slew of requests from families wanting their children to transfer in, said Higa. More than 70 percent of the school's student population come from outside of its geographic area, said Higa.

"We wanted to build a nurturing, caring atmosphere for our students," said Higa. "When they feel good, they do well in school," she said.

What are you most proud of? The caring community atmosphere at Momilani. "I want people to look at our students and say, 'You came from that caring school,' " Higa said. She said she assures parents their children will be treated as if they were her own.

Best-kept secret: The balance of character education with rigorous academics. Higa said character education is sometimes forgotten, especially in this age of standardized tests. "Honesty and integrity are just as important as reading and math," she said.

Everybody at our school knows: School counselor Lance Nishihara, or "Mr. Nish," as he is known to students; health aide Vicky Hamasaki; meal cashier Carl Takahashi. "Don't forget Mrs. Higa," said Nishihara.

Our biggest challenge: Maintaining levels of excellence in the face of budget cuts, Higa said. A proposed new funding formula could reduce the school's budget by as much as $178,000 over four years, she said.

What we need: Assurance of adequate staffing in times of budget cuts, Higa said. She said the effects of eliminating the school counselor, librarian and even custodians would be reflected in test scores and academics. "It would also put unneeded stress on our teachers," she said.

Projects: The Momilani Foundation is trying to raise money to air-condition the school's special-events room.

Special events: Field trip to Pearl Harbor, Monthly Grandparent's Day luncheons, Drug-Free Wellness days, Parent-Child Activity nights, Family Fun Night.

Reach Loren Moreno at lmoreno@honoluluadvertiser.com.