North Shore Newsby Stephanie Lopes
“The early 1970s were a tumultuous time in the United States, but I have always believed that in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity,” Diana Bonsignore, founder of Rainbow Schools, recollects. Applying her teaching experience and master’s degree from the University of Hawaii, Bonsignore proposed to open a more nurturing school for young children based on child-centered classrooms rich in discovery.
With the support of co-founder Steven Albert, who secured the rent-free lease of an abandoned Kahuku sugar plantation church, and community support for construction and funding, Rainbow Schools was able to open its first site on October 22, 1972.
Since its humble beginnings 50 years ago, Rainbow Schools has expanded to five preschool locations under the leadership of Albert. In 1973 the original Kahuku school relocated to the Kahuku United Methodist Church. The Wahiawa site opened in 1989, followed by sites in Kaneohe (1991), Mililani (1995) and Honolulu (1996).
Notable Achievements
One of Rainbow Schools’ first accomplishments was to add a USDA food program which still today provides a healthy breakfast, lunch and snack to every child at no additional cost to the family. Over the years Rainbow Schools also secured tuition funding, allowing students from every income level to be served.
However, the school’s most significant achievement came in 1986 when Rainbow Schools became the first nationally accredited preschool in Hawaii. Since then Rainbow Schools has maintained accreditation for all 5 sites ensuring a high standard of early childhood education and care.
Also noteworthy is staff stability. Many staff members have been with the school for 10, 20, 30 years or more. Current Executive Director, Cindy Barley, is one of those devoted employees who celebrated her 30 year milestone last year.
“I decided to dedicate my career to Rainbow Schools because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of the children we cared for,” Barley reflected.
“One of our core values is that we do what we do for the children,” Barley continued. “And what is just as important as caring for the children is taking care of our employees. Focusing on professional development, better compensation packages, and health and safety benefits (such as self-care programs) are important facets of our work, allowing staff to be at our best when taking care of the children.”
“We have come a long way in 50 years,” says Bonsignore, “Like any business we have had our ups and downs, with the recent pandemic presenting our greatest challenge. However we have survived and thrived, and the original vision of the school as a safe and nurturing place to grow is as vibrant today as it was in 1972.”