‘You Can Do Anything’: Kalaheo Grad, Lawyer and Former BOE Chair on Public Education

With an impressive resume spanning from a KHON2 news reporter and magazine editor to practicing Law since 1995. To even being Chairman of the Board of Education most recently. Mr. Bruce Voss, a 1980 Kalaheo grad,  gives insight into his time at Kalaheo, public schools, hard work, and community.  Kalaheo was once an Intermediate school starting in 1966 and then, re-established itself as a high school in 1973.  “I was a part of the last class in the 6th year at Kalaheo. So my class attended from 7th grade to 12th grade.”   In the 1970s, it was time for Kalaheo to be repainted. Mr. Voss talks about the solutions given to Kalaheo when funding was nowhere in sight. Solutions that cut a lot of corners.  

“They took basically all of the leftover paint that they used to paint all of the elementary schools, and they used that to paint Kalaheo. The doors were all different colors, green, purple, blue, and red”. However, Mr. Voss realized an important lesson. He viewed Kalaheo High as more than just a school painted in crazy colors. “What that taught me was that, It doesn't matter what your school looks like, it doesn't matter how your facilities are, — what matters is that you have good teachers that are committed to helping you learn. Kalaheo was this comically painted school on a hill that nobody gave respect to, but was still a great place to learn.” 

Mr. Voss further explains the topic of funding. “Kalaheo always has gotten the short end of the stick in terms of facilities (and funding). And that was the case while I was there. But while we didn't have great facilities,  a football field, or any of that kind of stuff. What we had were great, committed teachers. And those teachers at Kalaheo have shaped my life. It was the direction and commitment that they taught me.”

 Mr. Voss acted upon that direction, later serving on the Board of Education as chair. The BOE is the committee that oversees policy that then becomes implemented by the Department of Education- amongst all public and charter schools in Hawaii. In 2022, Voss was Chair of the board. The chair is the person who holds the most power or authority over decisions.  “We as a state can't just sort of reflexively separate private schools from public schools.  Public schools like Kalaheo are everyone's concern because these are the people that are going to shape the future of our state and they need the support and commitment from everybody.”

 Along with the divide between private and public schooling, many public school students fear disadvantages compared to private school students. But Mr. Voss’ story is one that challenges that notion. “Going to public school, you can go anywhere. You can do anything. I believe that. The sense from students that you can go anywhere and do anything– it has to be two ways.  The students have to believe it but also the people in the community. Everyone has to believe that and work hard to make that true. It is not enough having a belief. 

You have to put in the time and the work to make that happen. It's not just on the students, it's on all of us to make that belief a reality.” Despite being the former chair of the BOE, Mr. Voss gives a message to students when it comes to any leader. “Whether it's from a politician or from a governor or anyone who is in a place of authority. Never take anything at face value. Always ask questions, do your own investigation, and do your own thinking. Come to your own conclusions. And if everyone did that, I think we would have a better citizenry and a better society.”