Upon a visit over the summer to the office of the president at Mid-Pacific Institute, a private K-12 private school in Mānoa Valley, Paul Turnbull was beaming ear to ear while speaking with Aloha State Daily about some of the memorabilia and art that lined the portable’s walls.
Beyond family photos and keepsakes from his near 14 years at the school, Turnbull had several black and white portraits displayed from Steve Jobs’ “Think Different” campaign.
“Fun fact: Brian Dote, a local Waipahu High School grad, who worked for Apple developing the original Iphone, including the photo gallery app, has served as Mid-Pac’s chief innovation officer since 2014,” according to Turnbull, who is planning to move from the Islands next summer to take on a new role as Head of School at Cary Academy in North Carolina.
“We started in 2014-15 to expand an immersive technology program. By the time we were done, it was the only program of its kind in the United States, and potentially in the world,” he shared. “We had students using 3D LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scanning to capture historic structures and artifacts. ... And those sensors capture everything that we would see, but it's digitized into the cloud.
“One of the things that we captured was the Natatorium, so working with the National Park Service, we 3D scanned the Natatorium down to the millimeter, so if anything further degrades — either because of an earthquake or manmade issues or climate — it is now based on actual data. And so, our kids were able to do work with nonprofits and then gift back all of those scans to them. They've worked with seven museums around town over a decade. They've scanned hundreds of objects as small as crown jewels from ʻIolani Palace, and as large as Honouliuli Internment Camp. It's absolutely amazing.”
Turnbull adds that the students have also explored 3D game design using virtual reality, while participating in robotics competitions.
“And our AI footprint now is really robust. That's something that we're really proud of,” he notes.
The first thing Mid-Pac did was “develop an AI Advisory Council,” which includes for-profit and nonprofit experts across industries, who have helped create the program and develop curriculum on utilizing artificial intelligence in research, governance and community. “We've trained 100% of our teachers, and probably over 75% of our office staff around campus, over a period of three years. It's to the point where we have teachers who are presenting at national conferences on how to integrate AI into curriculum. We have students presenting at local and national conferences on how to do the same thing from [their] perspective, and then locally on campus, we have students and teachers working together to collaborate on how to bring AI into the classroom.
“When many other schools are arguing about what AI should or shouldn't do or the drawbacks of AI, we're leaning into it and leading it to the place where we understand that it's not going away, and we would rather understand how to work with it and understand its effect on the educational setting, then to try to mold it to an old setting that is quickly becoming out of date.”
He says it has been rewarding to see how students and teachers are tackling AI from different perspectives and coming together on its uses and impact inside the classroom and beyond.
According to him, Mid-Pac also has a strong School of the Arts — which is a pre-professional "school within a school” — offering conservatory-style training in dance, hula, instrumental music, media, musical theatre, theatre, visual arts and voice.
Turnbull adds: "What we find overwhelmingly is that people come and stay at Mid-Pacific because of its culture. And that's something that I think is really emblematic of the spirit of Mid-Pacific. We're not the biggest school. We’re not the richest school, but we are rich in curiosity, we're rich in that feeling of ʻohana, and we're rich in our shared dedication to students.”
Early career
Turnbull, who was born and raised in Canada, told ASD that he “absolutely loves teachers.”
“I knew at 16 that I was going to be a teacher because of the teachers I had.”
He began teaching in Vancouver and went on to serve in various roles in California: Junior High School principal and principal of Santa Barbara High School, Assistant Superintendent of the Santa Barbara Unified School District, and Superintendent of the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District.
Turnbull received a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and master’s in education from University of Victoria, Canada.
A headhunter initially reached out to him about becoming Mid-Pac’s ninth president. “At the time, I said, ‘Thanks so much, but I’m not interested.’ Because my wife was happy in her job, our boys were happy in boarding school, our daughter was happy in elementary school. And as a superintendent, I was in a good place.”
He recalled that he and his wife, Leslie, looked at the school first as parents for their youngest daughter, Gabrielle, would have been entering 4th grade.
“We loved everything we saw,” he said. “Then we looked at the community and asked, could we live here in Honolulu. And we loved everything we saw. And then I started thinking of the job and loved everything that we saw. So, it truly was checking three very significant boxes … It felt right.”
Transitioning from public to private school was “different,” he said, noting that he “went from a five-person democratically elected board to a board of 20 people, who are outstanding community leaders that love the school and are supportive both in their talent and professional abilities.”
“The teachers are overwhelmingly professional and love the students. And then when it comes to the parents and alumni, every single constituency we have is invested in the school, which ultimately means we are all invested in the potential and lives of children. It’s just a truly wonderful place to be.”
When asked how he build rapport with the new board, Turnbull said, “I’ve been blessed, honestly; they are highly intelligent, highly successful and highly committed volunteers. There are individuals who have been with us for more than 20 years and some who have just joined us within that last few months. There’s a really nice representations of alumni, so there’s continuation of institution and knowledge and culture. We have individuals who are current parents, so you have this real understanding of current experiences in the needs and wants of families, and then you’ve got community members and parents of alumni — generations are covered.”
“We’ve seen outstanding moments and trying moments, and in every case, they’ve not been my bosses. They’ve been my partners, and not every Head of School gets to say that,” he continued. “I’m really excited for my successor. It’s the right time for me to move on ... It’s time for me in good faith and in good conscious to hand off the baton. And I’m just so happy for who the next person is because the foundation is strong, the community is strong, the board is in a great place, plus you get to live in Hawaiʻi.”
When asked what he’s going to miss most about living and working in the Islands, Turnbull told ASD, “Hawaiian food, and the regional fusions of culture here; slack key guitar; the beaches, closeness to the Pacific ocean; and the Spirit of Aloha."
His advice to his successor? “Dive in with both feet. Be as curious as this school community is and find joy in the curiosity. This is a remarkable place with remarkable people. Listen, and amazing things will happen.”
In June, the school’s board of trustees launched the search for its next president, led by Chris Dods and Denis Isono, as well as activated executive search firm Resource Group 175, which specializes in recruiting leadership for independent schools. Those interested can view the Position Statement and apply here by Friday, Sept. 4.
Campus improvements & fundraising
Established in 1908, Mid-Pacific is a pioneer of project-based and interdisciplinary learning (MPX) in the state. The school is known for programs such as the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and its hula program Pūpūkahi I Ke Alo O Nā Pu, taught by Kumu Hula Michael Lanakila Casupang, which ASD visited last year.
In May of last year, Mid-Pac broke ground on its new, $7.5 million track and field facility, designed by local firm G70. According to previous reporting by ASD, the campus previously never had a track facility. An official opening celebration is slated to occur this school year.
Funds are also being raised for Mid-Pac’s new middle school building, which would replace Bingham Hall, a structure built in 1953.
Under his leadership over the past 13 years, Turnbull has spearheaded doubling the amounts raised for its annual fund and endowment. “We are engaged in a comprehensive campaign right now that brings donors together... those are successes I’m proud of, he said. “We have raised in last six years $29 million. This year, we’re going to open a new track and field, with a natural spring, or piko of our campus, right beside it.”
“We’re the fourth largest independent school in the state (serving 1,400 students annually), but our endowment relative to our three larger neighbors is significantly lower, which means we stretch a dollar farther than any other school because we can push other resources to the classroom and to the teachers,” he continued. “Over the years, we've done everything we can to improve the environment, so we talk about the track, we talk about new buildings. The campus itself is an incredibly safe place. When we hire, we hire very specifically for teachers who are values aligned with our core mission and vision.”
What’s next?
Adopted in 2015, the 20-year Aspirations strategic plan and framework gives an in-depth look of where the school is headed into 2035.
Turnbull said that in the first five years, the school hit 20 benchmarks.
For the 2026-27 school year, he is looking forward to meeting new students. “I’m also excited that my successor will meet everybody in the community, see how wonderful the place is, and take that next step.”
What will he take with him to his next chapter in North Carolina? “Sense of place, sense of community, connection between individuals, curiosity.
“This is one of the most innovative, joyful schools in the U.S.” he said. “I’m taking the spirit of that with me.”
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
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