History

Assets School was established at the request of military families who needed specialized educational services for their children.

Max Templeman, the Civilian Director of Education for the Armed Services in Hawaii, was instrumental in revamping the school's name to "Armed Services Special Education Training Society," or Assets, as the school is known today. Its mission changed to serving students with learning differences.

The first formal classes for the gifted were established, along with seventh and eighth grade classrooms.

The Assets Teacher Training and Outreach Program (ATTOP) was developed in an attempt to give back to the military and civilian communities that had so generously given to Assets. Workshops were provided to promote awareness and understanding of dyslexia, learning disabilities, and giftedness.

Assets High School was established in 1991 with the addition of two ninth-grade students. Assets moved onto its current campus on Ohana Nui Way near the airport in spring of 1992. Assets joined the Interscholastic League of Honolulu and also became part of PAC-5.

The first Assets High School graduation took place in the summer of 1993.

Max Templeman, Susan Childs, and the Kiwanis club planned, designed, and built our play structure. With the help of military volunteers, community members, faculty, and staff, the structure was completed in the spring of 1994.

The Charles B. Wang International Foundation donated funds for a campus expansion, including special purpose classrooms such as labs, kitchen facilities, art and drama rooms, and 25% more instructional space.

Having merged with the Academy of the Pacific (AOP) in 2014, Assets High School opened for summer school in 2015 on the former AOP campus in Alewa Heights.

In August 2018, the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg K-4 Village opened for 80 of our youngest learners. Also in 2018, Assets joined the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics program and took second place in the state the following year.

Due to Covid-19, Assets students moved to distance learning in March 2020. However, by September 2020, Assets was one of the first Oahu private schools to reopen for in-person learning thanks to small classes, strict health and safety protocols, and daily health screenings using the new Assets School app.

Assets celebrated is 65th school year of educating #GreatMinds. The celebration was marked with a one-hour television show that featured testimonials from students, faculty, alumni, and trustees. It was broadcast on Hawaii News Now stations (KHNL, KGMB, K5).

The Transforming Lives Center opened its doors to the public in June 2022. The Transforming Lives Center is the first private school-based full resource center on Oahu to provide comprehensive educational assessments to students in kindergarten through 12th grade who attend public, private, charter, and home school.

In January 2023, Assets School won the Hawaii State Robotics FTC Championship! Our students qualified to compete in the FIRST World Championship in Houston, Texas in April. At the World Championship, our team earned the third place 2023 FTC Championship Edison Division Connect Award.