Closing Wailupe Valley Elementary School and shifting its 78 students to nearby 'Aina Haina Elementary could result in significant cost savings and higher academic achievement, according to a report released yesterday by a task force charged with examining the possibility of a school merger.

While the report doesn't recommend a decision either way, it does say there would be advantages to closing the small elementary school and moving its students to 'Aina Haina, just a mile away.

A public hearing to discuss the task force's findings will be held April 8 at Niu Valley Middle School. The hearing was scheduled after complex area superintendent Ronn Nozoe yesterday made the task force's final report public.

"All the data really do point toward consolidation," Nozoe said. "We really made a dedicated effort to find anything that could be a strong argument against consolidation. There was a lot of emotional testimony, but we couldn't find anything significant that said we need to rethink this."

A task force comprised of parents, educators and community members has been meeting since Dec. 23 to formulate a recommendation on whether to merge Wailupe Valley with 'Aina Haina.

Wailupe Valley is the first school to reach this critical juncture in the state Department of Education's ongoing effort to close or consolidate small schools across the state.

Citing budget cuts of at least $40 million a year for the next two years, education officials in December embarked on the long and controversial process of studying consolidation of schools as a possible cost-saving measure.

Other areas such as Ka'a'awa, Moloka'i and Maui are expected to begin a similar process soon.

Cary Miyashiro, chairman of the Wailupe Valley-'Aina Haina consolidation task force, said the report demonstrates that the state could save money by moving Wailupe students down the road.

"I want to find reasons to keep the school open. But it's looking very hard to do," Miyashiro said.

According to the report, the state spends more than twice as much per pupil at Wailupe Valley ($12,079) than at 'Aina Haina ($5,140).

"That's almost $7,000 above and beyond what a kid at 'Aina Haina is getting. That's a lot of money," Nozoe said.

The weighted student formula, the DOE's method for allocating resources, gives money to schools based on student population. But for smaller schools to get enough money to operate, the formula includes 30 percent or more in extra money.

Taking into account total operating costs for the school, the state would save about $804,000 a year if Wailupe were to close and its staff and students moved. Wailupe also has a repair and maintenance backlog of some $9.7 million.

Janet Borja, who has two young children who attend the school, said she doesn't feel the cost savings alone is enough reason to close the school. Borja said parents are feeling frustrated because Wailupe's closure appears to be a done deal.

"It's a disadvantage from the parents' point of view," Borja said. "We see the numbers of students per class at 'Aina Haina versus what we have and we just feel like the kids are going to get lost in the shuffle," Borja said.

Wailupe has a class size range of 8 to 14 students, while 'Aina Haina's ranges from 17 to 22.

However, according to the report, there's no statistical advantage to Wailupe Valley's small class sizes.

Overall student achievement was found to be higher at 'Aina Haina, according to an examination of the school's Hawaii State Assessment results. Wailupe Valley students transferring to 'Aina Haina would benefit from the 'Aina Haina emphasis on high student achievement, the report said.

For instance, in 2007, 88 percent of 'Aina Haina students were proficient in reading compared with 77 percent at Wailupe Valley. In mathematics, 77 percent of students were found to be proficient compared to 54 percent at Wailupe Valley.

'Aina Haina is also a national Blue Ribbon School, an honor given only to schools that have closed the achievement gap among its students, or saw students succeed at very high levels.

"We're paying a whole lot more when there's basically a blue-ribbon education right down the road," Nozoe said.