Halau Ku Mana Director Keola Nakanishi is asking the community for a "minor miracle" to help the small Manoa charter school build a campus in Makiki before July 1.

The school has raised about $350,000, but still needs $350,000 more to clear land, erect portables and move in time.

"What we still need is a minor miracle," Nakanishi said.

"We need to build a home in five months while running a school, while writing grants, while managing grants. From planning and permitting to moving house, clearing and leveling the land ... all that has to happen by the end of June."

In September, the charter school secured a 30-year lease from the state for five acres of land next to the Hawai'i Nature Center.

The long-term lease was welcome news for the charter school, which has moved three times since opening its doors in 2001. It is now at Paradise Park in upper Manoa.

Nakanishi said he is also putting together a long-term strategy for building a permanent campus in Makiki.

The school will need millions to build classrooms and an office. They also hope to start farming lo'i and other Hawaiian plants.

Meanwhile, Halau Ku Mana is also negotiating with Wailupe Valley School to use two classrooms on the campus. One classroom would be for storage and the other would be for a computer lab.

Some Wailupe parents don't like the idea of middle or high schoolers on the kindergarten through fifth grade campus.

"We don't want the older kids up there, period," said Cynthia Pandolfe, who has an 8-year-old girl at Wailupe Elementary.

"Our number one priority is the safety of the children."

The Board of Education still has to approve the use of the space at Wailupe, which has empty classrooms because of waning enrollment. The school has about 100 students.

Nakanishi said he wants to work with the community on the use of the space, and stressed discussions are still ongoing.

Halau Ku Mana has about 100 students, from 11 to 18 years old.

Many students come to the charter school after struggling at mainstream campuses. Nakanishi said the school uses a hands-on Hawaiian-centered curriculum and stresses community service.

The approach has gotten Halau Ku Mana accolades and results.

In their first year, many students see improvements in their grade point averages and attendance. Most students also improve their reading and writing proficiency and math skills.

For five hours a day, students work on a year-long, hands-on project, like building and sailing a double-hulled canoe or planting and harvesting a lo'i, which incorporates core subjects.

The rest of the day, students are in the classroom and on Friday, they're in "playshops" — which act as elective classes. The playshops range from video editing to ceramics.

"They're not just chanting and sailing canoes here and dancing and getting muddy in the lo'i," Nakanishi said. "The average student improved 1.5 grade levels."

Nakanishi says most of the school's graduates go on to community or four-year colleges. Many never dreamed of getting a college degree, he said.

Gregory Dunn, executive director of the Hawai'i Nature Center, said it makes sense for the school to move to Makiki.

The school will use some classroom space at the Hawai'i Nature Center until permanent classrooms are built.

"It is such a natural partnership," Dunn said.

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.