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Temporary elementary campus slated in Kapalua

Three other Lahaina public schools to reopen next month

By Melissa Tanji 6 min read

HONOKOWAI -- In the coming months, King Kamehameha III Elementary School students could move into a new temporary campus just down the road from the Kapalua Airport.

The approximately $5.36 million project on a portion of land slated for the Pulelehua mixed-use project will be a temporary replacement for the elementary school that burned in Lahaina town last month, displacing more than 600 students.

The cost will be fronted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and construction and site work will be handled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, state Department of Education Superintendent Keith Hayashi said during a news conference at the Kapalua Airport Tuesday morning to announce the new campus and reopening dates for the other three Lahaina public schools.

"Central to our healing is to have education for our keiki," Gov. Josh Green said in a news release on Tuesday. "It is time to get our students back in school, to provide our students and families a return to a sense of at least interim normalcy."

Officials could not provide an exact date for when students could start on the temporary campus, as they were still working on the details, but Col. Jesse Curry, who currently serves as commander for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Recovery Field Office, said at the news conference, "as of today, we estimate the project will take 95 days."

"We are committed to do this project well and expediently," he added.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials said after the news conference that the agency received the assignment on Sept. 13 and continues to refine the design and scope of the project. Identifying contractors and optimal materials can impact the timeline, and a more accurate estimate will be available once work begins.

The state Department of Education is working with the Army Corps of Engineers to finalize the design of the modular units that will sit on a 10.2-acre site, the DOE said in a news release. The facilities will recreate the square footage, capacity and common spaces of the King Kamehameha III Elementary campus, with classrooms, a cafeteria, administration building and a basketball court among the plans. The temporary campus is in the attendance boundaries for the school, which includes Kaanapali, Kahana, Honokowai, Napili and Kapalua.

The students will be at the temporary site until a new permanent school can be built.

As King Kamehameha III Elementary students await their new temporary site, they will be sharing the campus at Princess Nahi'ena'ena Elementary, Hayashi said. As of Tuesday, two of the canvas-like structures that will temporarily house the King Kamehameha III students were already up, Hayashi said. The structures will have wooden floors, air conditioning and electricity. There will be a total of eight temporary structures, according to DOE officials.

The timeline for the return of students and staff to the campuses will be as follows:

• Oct. 5: Last day for students at distance learning and special education hubs, as well as Lahainaluna High School students attending school temporarily at the Kulanihako'i High School campus in Kihei.

• Oct. 6: Faculty and staff for the two elementary schools, Lahaina Intermediate and Lahainaluna High School report to their campuses.

• Oct. 9-13: Fall break for teachers and students.

• Oct. 15: Lahainaluna boarding students move into their dormitories.

• Oct. 16: Lahainaluna students return to campus.

• Oct. 17: Lahaina Intermediate students return to campus.

• Oct. 18: King Kamehameha III Elementary and Princess Nahi'ena'ena Elementary students begin classes at the latter's campus.

Hayashi said that while most feedback from parents called for reopening the schools, some have expressed concerns over the campuses being near the impact zone and school transportation passing the burn areas, so the DOE will continue offering a virtual option through its state distance learning program. Families can also continue to keep their students enrolled in Central and South Maui schools.

The DOE is also assessing the hybrid learning hubs being held north of Lahaina and will provide updates at a later time.

"Our hope is that by providing the reopening dates with about three weeks of lead time, families can use the information to make decisions that are best for their situation," Hayashi said.

The campuses have remained closed for environmental testing and cleanup after the Aug. 8 wildfire. State Health Department Director Dr. Kenneth Fink said results have come back and "we have determined it is safe to proceed at this time."

He said there were no damages to the water treatment plant above Lahainaluna High School that provides water to that campus, as well as Princess Nahi'ena'ena and Lahaina Intermediate. Rounds of water testing showed an "absence of fire-related contaminants."

"We are confident the water is safe for drinking water," he said.

Fink said the results of soil testing were "extremely reassuring," with Princess Nahi'ena'ena and Lahaina Intermediate "all within standards."

Isolated findings showed sudden elevated nickel levels at the Lahainaluna campus, but "this is not uncommon in volcanic soil" and "it is well below the levels of the EPA threshold," Fink said.

"So we are confident that all the soil samples are safe for folks to return to the different areas," he said.

Air quality monitors are also located on each of the campuses, with an additional monitor just makai of the bypass.

"Since those were set up weeks ago it has constantly shown that the air quality is green, that the air quality is good," Fink said.

But Fink added that the reentry process to properties, which began Monday and Tuesday, could lead to disturbance of the ash, which could affect air quality. He said it is something that the DOH will continue to monitor and work with the DOE in case the air quality changes.

Additional air quality monitors are being installed at each of the campuses this week, the DOE said.

Professional cleaning of all interior spaces is complete at Lahaina Intermediate and Princess Nahi'ena'ena Elementary schools and is underway at Lahainaluna, the DOE added. Professional exterior cleaning is being scheduled for all three schools.

In a post on the Hawaii State Teachers Association website Tuesday, President Osa Tui Jr. said, "The HSTA is confident that the necessary steps have been taken and will continue to occur to ensure everyone's safety. The HSTA will continue to monitor the situation on Maui, staying in close touch with the department and our members to ensure that our school communities are safe places in which to learn and work."

The DOE is also asking families of children who are enrolled in any of the three Lahaina schools to fill out an online form by Oct. 8 regarding what they plan to do when the campuses reopen. The form is available at www.surveymonkey.com/r/LahainaSchools.

* Staff Writer Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.

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