St. Anthony School banks on new sports academy, ʻŌlelo Hawai‘i program to boost plummeting enrollment : Maui Now

WAILUKU — Meldge Ponce, Rayna Ho‘opi‘i and Yessenia Casillas were known as the “Three Musketeers” when they graduated in May from St. Anthony School in Central Maui.

The trio, who are all headed to Grand Canyon University, made up 60% of their graduating class of just five, and their class was not the only tiny one.

Enrollment for the entire student body of kindergarten through 12th grade was only 147 this past year at St. Anthony — the only Catholic school on the island and the alma mater of notable alumni including Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen, retired 2nd Circuit Chief Judge Joe Cardoza and 12-year Major League Baseball player Shane Victorino.

But even more alarming to school officials, only 99 students are enrolled so far for the upcoming school year. That’s far below the more than 1,000 students who attended St. Anthony’s in the 1970s and 80s, according to Lionel Montalvo, who graduated in a class of 110 in 1978.

Now, in an effort to boost severely plummeting enrollment numbers, the 177-year-old institution on Lower Main Street in Wailuku is reinventing itself, adding programs that include a new sports academy and an ʻŌlelo Hawai‘i learning plan.

The blueprint has developed over the last academic year and is being put in place for all classes for the 2025-26 school year. School officials hope the effort will attract new students, especially children of alumni who have not been coming to the school in recent years.

“We took the concerns that we had for the school to the board, and the board took it very seriously and decided they’ve got to work on this,” said Reverend Monsignor Terrence Watanabe, the man in charge of the school and St. Anthony Church. “So, they hunkered down.”

While increasing enrollment will not happen overnight, it has to happen to keep the school from closing. One alumnus with knowledge of the school financials said the break-even point for enrollment is 250.

“We need enrollment,” said Watanabe, who added that the school’s $2 million to $3 million annual budget is based mostly on tuition and a few fundraisers. “No students, no school. It’s just that simple. And it’s hard.”

Tuition for grades K-5 is $9,850, while grades 6-12 costs $11,500. There also are scholarship opportunities.

But they are not attracting the “lifers,” like Montalvo’s children, Luke and Mindy, who spent their entire K-12 education at St. Anthony.

One factor that has played a role in the smaller class sizes at St. Anthony was the 1996 opening of Kamehameha Schools Maui, which currently has a K-12 enrollment of 1,100. Another private school, Seabury Hall in Olinda, had 518 students in grades 5-12 in the 2023-24 school year.

Despite the small class sizes at St, Anthony, with the Class of 2024 also only having five students, the most recent graduates are an impressive list of college-bound freshmen.

The five-person class of 2025 — which also includes Maricar Mendez (who is attending the University of Portland to study psychology) and Tito Coscarelli (who is attending Vaughn College to study aircraft operations) — is leaving St. Anthony with full rides or near full rides.

According to St. Anthony dean of students and interim principal Lilyana Koa, the five 2025 graduates were awarded nearly $2 million in grants and scholarships, an average of $399,202 per student for their four-year college careers, or $99,801 per student per year.

Casillas plans to study nursing, Ho‘opi‘i will study political science and Ponce, the valedictorian, is undecided on a major.

Ponce, who attended St. Anthony for 12 years, said she believes the new plans will work to draw students of all age levels to the school.

“Very hopeful, actually, because a lot of kids really want more diversity, more opportunities,” she said. “Back in middle school, I joined robotics. A lot of kids like doing robotics or they like languages.”

With a boosted school population, the curriculum options at St. Anthony would grow, according to school officials.

The ideas to place an extra emphasis on sports development and a Hawaiian language presence were the brainchild of alumni Terrance Gomez and Hoapili Ane, who died suddenly in October 2024 at the age of 46.

“At St. Anthony, we’re committed to more than just athletics,” Gomez said. “We care deeply about the growth, development and future of your student-athlete. Our mission is to create a clear and guided pathway to compete at the next level while thriving in all levels of life.”

The sports academy will be taught by two-time U.S. Olympian in weightlifting, Vernon Patao, and Nikki Musto, a 2015 King Kekaulike High School graduate who played soccer at San Diego State University and five years as a professional internationally.

Musto said she is honored to be part of the first sports academy on Maui, with a role in which she trains and coaches kids, “making them better athletes in hopes of helping them pursue their dreams of playing at the next level.”

Patao, who retired from the Maui Fire Department, will handle the strength and conditioning portion of the academy. He has moved the base of operations for his HI Performance Athletics gym to the refurbished St. Anthony weight room.

Patao said the HI Performance coaches will be volunteering to help at the St. Anthony weight room.

“We’ve been very fortunate to work with administration and the diocese, who have actually worked with us to enhance the policy, which I feel is going to help enrollment,” Patao said Thursday. “And ultimately, that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Patao’s HI Performance Athletics also will run programs for underprivileged children after school in the weight room, which St. Anthony recently spent $30,000 to upgrade.

“I’m taking the leap of faith,” Patao said. “One of the things that the school agreed to do is allow us to run our club program here, which will allow us to continue servicing and helping out underprivileged kids. And also, it’s a recruiting tool to help people come here and maybe they would want to jump into one of our programs.”

The St. Anthony board of directors has met weekly for the last six months. “It’s amazing what they’ve come up with,” Watanabe said.

Board member Buddy Nobriga, who is the operations manager for Roselani Ice Cream and Maui Soda & Ice Works, said his St. Anthony education was a key to his success. He graduated in 2004 amongst a class of 48, and later played football at City College of San Francisco and the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

The final season that St. Anthony played as a standalone, regulation 11-player football team in the Maui Interscholastic League was 2002. The school combined with Ka‘ahumanu Hou Christian School and Seabury Hall to form a team called Pac-3 from 2003 to 2006, and played as the “Trojans” in 2007 and 2008 with a few additional players from Seabury Hall. From 2009 to 2014, St. Anthony played eight-player football. But for the last decade, there has been no St. Anthony football.

Nobriga was one of about 450 people at the school’s ho‘olaulea on June 28 where some of the plans to boost enrollment were unveiled.

“One of the messages I took away from that event was the legacy of St. Anthony is definitely something to be proud of,” Nobriga said. “It’s the future we have to support. These two programs are not just about the cake you want, but for the first time in a long time St. Anthony can regain that beacon to be at the forefront of ever-changing society and community, to support what’s ahead of us.”

The school was an inaugural member of the Maui Interscholastic League that began in 1960, and produced 1999 graduate Victorino, a two-time baseball world champion, two-time All-Star and four-time winner of the Gold Glove.

“It’s cool, as one who was able to play a sport for a living,” Victorino said. “Yes, the numbers and the odds are very small. … To actually hear it being a sports academy is exciting for me.”

Ponce said during her valedictorian speech that she would not have wanted things any different for her high school experience.

“Some might pity us or think it’s a bit bizarre, but honestly I see it as a blessing,” Ponce said. “I formed such a close bond with each one of my classmates. Despite our differences, they brought so much life, color and joy into my world. … Being with them has reminded me of the importance of who you surround yourself with.

“Surround yourself with good friends, a supportive family, and most importantly, our loving God. Keep those three at the center of your life and I promise you, you won’t regret it.”

The ʻŌlelo Hawai‘i learning plan — called Kahikuhina a‘o Hawai‘i Me ʻŌlelo Hawai‘i — will be coordinated by Sissy Lake Farm, who recently took the job after spending 12 years as executive director of the Maui Historical Society.

For kindergarten through fifth grade, classes will be held twice a week. In middle school, it will be an elective and in high school it will be a dedicated language course.

Both the Hawaiian language and sports programs will be practiced across all of the school’s grades as class periods during the school day. The sports academy will include physical education classes and elective classes for student-athletes who want more sports work.

“It’s just the beginning, so we will be starting with basics,” Lake Farm said of her program. “What is called the Ha Ka La Ma, exploring the basic and beginning structures of the language. Exploring the usage of Hawaiian words and phrases used in the home and at school. Teaching mele and hula about various places, people and historic events throughout Hawaiʻiʻs history.”

Lake Farm said she does not consider herself a kumu (teacher), but she is “excited to work with the mākua (parents) to inform them of what their keiki are learning in school and helping to provide an understanding and support system at home to help incorporate the Hawaiian language and culture into the home. … I feel that I can help to steward with the start of this amazing program.”

For Watanabe, the addition of ʻŌlelo Hawai‘i goes hand in hand with the Catholic faith portion that has always been the foundation of the school.

“Our faith is interwoven into all the programs and it’s interwoven into the sports program as well,” Watanabe said. “They will be praying before they exercise and pray after, again, trying to incorporate the faith.

“Religion for us is not something that you just teach as a class. Religion is something that’s interwoven throughout all the academic subjects. We’re interested in running a Catholic school, a faith-based school that is going to bring the young people closer to Jesus.”

Alumni of the school speak fondly of their time there, including 1979 graduate Bissen, who also played on their football team.

“As an alumnus of St. Anthony School, I value the friendships and foundation that were instilled in me from a young age and that helped shape my academic path and career,” Bissen said. “I’m deeply grateful to have been part of a school community with such a strong tradition of excellence, integrity, and care — one that continues to inspire and guide students today.” 

Michael Victorino, Shane’s father, preceded Bissen as Maui County mayor from 2018-22. While Michael Victorino is a 1970 graduate of Hilo High School, he married 1976 St. Anthony graduate Joycelyn Nakahashi. The pair have been a leading couple in the St. Anthony Church for decades and they also sent their son Mike Victorino Jr. to the school.

“I’m very, very thankful that I went there because I was instilled with good values in treating people well with respect, dignity and always helping others show respect,” Joycelyn Victorino said.

Michael and Joycelyn Victorino still make a monthly donation to the school. Michael Victorino also helped with many sports at the school throughout the years.

“I can name a whole class of athletes that went on to college, and some to the pros in different sports, really is a tribute to the school,” Michael Victorino said. “We didn’t always have the best athletes, but they were dedicated, well-rounded, and good sports.”

Mike Victorino Jr. is the local secretary treasurer for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union who lives on O’ahu. He graduated in a class of 90 from St. Anthony in 1994.

“It’s something that I think needs to happen to figure out how we can build the school, just bring it back to life again,” Victorino Jr. said. “I remember when I was going to school there, we had cars on the side of the road, from almost the bridge, parked on the side by the graveyard all the way down past Hale Makua. There was never an open spot.”

Rob Ryane Gonzales graduated from St. Anthony in 2024 as the valedictorian. He just finished his freshman year at the University of Notre Dame and he said his St. Anthony experience helped him get into the prestigious college and acclimate quickly.

“That was really what I cultivated here at St. Anthony, being able to engage in the parish and faith community, as well as within my own small community of four other classmates,” Gonzales said. 

“I really hope that if we can provide these opportunities, we can also maintain a level adequate to the other schools that we’re competing against,” he added. “I would still focus more on the faith base of the community.”