HIDOE explores options for rebuilding King Kamehameha III Elementary School

HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) is actively exploring new options for the rebuilding of King Kamehameha III Elementary School, which was severely damaged in the August 2023 wildfires.

Following community feedback sessions held over the summer, the Department is now considering a possible fourth site in Lahaina Town.

No final decision has been made yet. The initial three proposed locations each came with challenges, and the community feedback indicated that the site previously viewed as the most promising was actually the least favored by stakeholders.

In May, HIDOE hosted two community meetings in Lahaina to discuss the original three sites.

These included the school’s original location on Front Street, which was damaged beyond repair, Pulelehua near the school’s temporary location, and the Kaʻanapali site at Puʻukoliʻi Village Mauka.

At the time, the Pulelehua site appeared to be the only option that could meet the target timeline of opening in the next three to five years.

Feedback from about 300 community members revealed that 67% preferred the Front Street location, while 54% opposed rebuilding at Pulelehua and 74% were against the Kaʻanapali site. The results were shared in June 2024.

While the Front Street site was popular among participants, it has been deemed unfeasible due to various factors, including the discovery of iwi kupuna (ancestral remains) during debris removal, as well as environmental and space constraints.

The original site is approximately 5.5 acres, but new elementary school sites require at least 12 acres.

Complex Area Superintendent Rebecca Winkie and HIDOE Public Works Administrator Jadine Urasaki attended Maui County’s Lahaina Community Weekly Disaster Recovery Meeting on September 25 to provide updates on plans for a new site for the existing King Kamehameha III Elementary students and staff, currently located at the temporary FEMA site at Pulelehua.

At that meeting, Ke‘eaumoku Kapu from Nā ‘Aikāne o Maui Cultural Center shared that iwi fragments were found at the original school site during debris removal. “No matter how small it is, that’s still iwi kupuna to us,” he emphasized.

Kapu, who has previously served on the Maui/Lāna‘i Burial Council, mentioned efforts to place a burial crypt at the former school site, which he described as part of the sacred royal compound of Kamehameha’s dynasty.

Currently, HIDOE is working with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the County of Maui to return the original school land.

Recently, a potential fourth site near Lahaina Town was brought up at the county meeting. “We’re gathering more information to assess this site’s potential,” Winkie said. “Right now, we don’t have the landowner’s permission to share details publicly. If this becomes a viable option, we’re committed to engaging the community to provide updates and gather input.”

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Once more information is available, HIDOE plans to organize a community meeting to discuss the options being considered.