Local News

Central, South Maui schools to serve as temporary sites for Lahaina students

Three West Maui schools still awaiting clearance to reopen

Four public schools in Central and South Maui will serve as temporary sites for displaced Lahaina students after one school was destroyed by the Aug. 8 fire and the other three were damaged by high winds.

King Kamehameha III Elementary and Princess Nahi'ena'ena Elementary students will be temporarily assigned to either Wailuku Elementary or Kamali'i Elementary in Kihei, while Lahaina Intermediate students will be temporarily assigned to Lokelani Intermediate in Kihei, the state Department of Education announced Wednesday.

Lahainaluna High School will temporarily function as a "school within a school" at the newly opened campus of Kulanihako'i High School in Kihei.

"We are still very hopeful that our Lahaina schools will be able to reopen, but not until we are assured that it is safe to do so," DOE Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in a news release Wednesday. "In the meantime we need to be able to provide options for families and students who want to access education outside of West Maui. We are also still actively pursuing temporary learning sites in West Maui to be able to provide options within the community."

The DOE said it is transitioning staff and students back to school "to help facilitate the healing process and restore some sense of normalcy" after the fire, which devastated Lahaina town the same week that most students were heading back to classes after summer break.

Kamehameha III Elementary was "damaged beyond repair" in the fire; the other three Lahaina schools remain closed while the state Department of Education awaits results of environmental testing of air, water and soil.

As of Tuesday, more than 600 displaced and impacted students had reenrolled in other public schools, mostly in Pu'u Kukui Elementary, Pomaika'i Elementary, Maui High and Baldwin High, DOE Communications Director Nanea Kalani said Wednesday.

"Those schools are either at or near capacity at this point, so that's why we're designating these other schools that do have the room to grow and the capacity to be able to support more students and will provide direct transportation for them," Kalani said.

She said the number of Lahaina students temporarily assigned to the four Central and South Maui schools will depend on how many families choose the option. Each has the space for at least a couple hundred more students. The DOE is also working on providing staffing support for the temporary school locations.

Students who already reenrolled or who signed up for the state's distance learning program prior to Wednesday will not be affected.

For families who want students to stay in Lahaina, the DOE is also working on plans to offer community-based learning activities in West Maui, but it won't look like the type of education provided in traditional schools, the DOE said.

When he heard the news about the temporary school sites, Lahainaluna co-head football coach Dean Rickard took it as a good first step towards his team returning to the field soon.

"I think that if that is the decision of DOE to make it a school within in a school and we retain the status as being Lahainaluna, then that might be good news for all sports, yeah, all the fall sports," Rickard said Wednesday. "Like I said, this is the first time I've heard of it and that is positive news. At least now we know that they discussed it, they are exploring options. This is a start in the right direction, I would think.

"Yeah, hopefully it works and that fall sports is still on the table."

The Lunas have not been able to hold official practices because school is not in session, which is required for practice to be held by Maui Interscholastic League and DOE rules.

Rickard, who had several close family members lose their houses in the fire, added, "Like everyone else, I'm kind of anxiously waiting to get a positive on whether the season for us is a go. As soon as we hear that, we can take it from there and work on the logistics then. That is a first step, which is great to hear. Hearing this news, that's great."

Rickard said seven of his coaching staff lost homes in the fire and about half of the 12 to 14 coaches are currently staying on the west side and the other half are in Central Maui.

The DOE is coordinating bus transportation for West Maui students to get to and from the temporary school sites. Pick-up and drop-off hub sites for students are being determined. Interested families should complete a bus application at their new school as soon as possible, the DOE said. Special transportation will be provided to students who receive transportation as a related service as part of their individualized education program.

Despite the shortage of bus drivers on Maui and other islands, Kalani said "we're going to make it happen." She said the DOE has found some drivers, and that the search has also been helped by the governor's recent emergency proclamation that allow commercial driver's license holders to drive school buses and another that lifts normal procurement processes, which "gives us some flexibility to be able to work with what's available on island." She said it will be more of a shuttle-type service than the usual home-to-school bus service, and the DOE is looking for a convenient location in Lahaina.

"We're also looking at having school staff ride the bus," Kalani said. "We know that there are scenes along that route that may very well be traumatic and emotional, and we want to make sure students are cared for."

Staff at all four Lahaina public schools remain on paid administrative leave through Friday. Starting Monday, staff will report to a centralized off-site location in West Maui that will be determined soon.

Lahaina school principals and DOE personnel are organizing a family and community meeting to share information and address questions and concerns on Aug. 30.

Families and staff who are facing internet challenges and need assistance can call the DOE's support hotline at (808) 727-6880 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

* Managing Editor Colleen Uechi can be reached at cuechi@mauinews.com. Staff Writer Robert Collias can be reached at rcollias@mauinews.com.