The Bishop Museum still intends to create a "magnet" school on its grounds focused around the Hawaiian culture and environment, but the plan has changed substantially since the idea was announced a year ago.

Now, instead of retrofitting the second floor of the existing Castle Hall to create a teaching environment in which high school students would work with the museum's science staff, the museum hopes to see a school building built from scratch with planning and construction money from the state Legislature.

That would delay the launch by at least three years.

Instead of opening this fall, the earliest such a magnet school — drawing students from all over O'ahu — could open would be 2008.

"The museum in discussion with the Department of Education agreed it would be more effective," said Bishop Museum education director Michael Shanahan. "It just seemed it was better to plan it from the get-go to be a fully functional school."

The school would be loosely patterned after the "Zoo School" in Apple Valley, Minn. — officially called the School of Environmental Studies — in which students study at the Minnesota Zoo, working with scientists. The plan was to begin with a class of 30 juniors, growing to 60 in the second year, and expanding from there.

As envisioned now, the Museum School, as it's being referred to, would have 120 students, but there's no decision yet whether it would be juniors and seniors only or be designed for students in ninth to 12th grades.

The last Legislature allotted $1.2 million for planning and initial construction, and the museum is awaiting release of the money by the governor. In the coming session they expect to ask for $4 million for construction — and hope to raise an additional $1 million privately.

One of the school's lures would be its proximity to the museum's new $17 million Science Adventure Center, which opens Nov. 19 featuring about 30 exhibits, including a three-story steaming, erupting volcano.

"The school would be about 10 feet away from the center," said Bishop Museum president Bill Brown. "And I'm expecting that once we get the kids they'll help run the place with our staff. They'll play a real role, and we're thinking of them as apprentices and interns."

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com.