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Lahainaluna to relocate to Kihei temporarily

Parents, teachers still frustrated over DOE’s plans, communication

By Melissa Tanji 7 min read

KAHANA -- Lahainaluna Principal Richard Carosso is aiming to have his student body temporarily relocate to the new Kulanihako'i High School in Kihei on Sept. 14 as they wait for their campus to be cleared of environmental hazards from the wildfires earlier this month.

"I understand your frustration, your anger, it is absolutely justified. I can't imagine and I know that the solution that we have is not ideal. It is not what I want, it's not what you guys want," Carosso told a crowd of around 500 parents, teachers and students at a Wednesday morning meeting outside Citizen Church in Kahana, where the crowd spilled out of a large white tent.

"My goal is to have kids and provide them in-person education, that's what I want to focus on. I want kids back on our campus. I want them up there. I want them wherever we can have them. There could be long-term solutions, somewhere else, but the best option for the very short term is to stay as Lahainaluna High School and to go utilize the campus at Kulanihako'i."

Carosso said there are Lahainaluna students now at Maui and Baldwin high schools who want to join the rest of the school in Kihei. He said if logistics and plans work out, Sept. 14 would be the start date at Kulanihako'i. Lahainaluna and Kulanihako'i students would have separate classroom spaces on the Kihei campus, Carosso later said at a second meeting Wednesday in Kahului, which the DOE said about 250 people attended.

"We need to get our seniors back on track to graduate," Carosso said to applause at the Kahana meeting. "We need to get our athletes back doing what they do. We need to get our band back. I can't wait to hear the band play again. All the things you want are what everybody up here wants and we are honestly working our hardest to make that happen."

Carosso was joined by other Lahaina public school principals and top state Department of Education officials to hear and address concerns from the community regarding the reopening of Lahainaluna High, Lahaina Intermediate and Princess Nahi'ena'ena Elementary, which did not burn in the wildfires earlier this month but are undergoing assessments for air, water and soil quality as well as checks to ensure stable power and sufficient broadband connectivity. The other public school in West Maui, King Kamehameha III Elementary, was damaged beyond repair, the DOE said. Together, the West Maui campuses served about 3,000 students. 

First announced Tuesday afternoon, the DOE's tentative goal is to reopen the three West Maui schools after fall break, which runs from Oct. 9 to 13. King Kamehameha III Elementary students will be accommodated at Lahaina Intermediate and at Princess Nahi'ena'ena Elementary, officials said. 

Parents at the West Maui meeting Wednesday shared concerns similar to those at a Board of Education meeting on Oahu on Aug. 24. Some worry the school campuses could be contaminated; others want the schools open sooner. Some were upset over what they felt was a lack of communication by the DOE, and said the plan designating four Central and South Maui schools as temporary sites for impacted West Maui students was released prior to community input. Parents also wanted their children to stay on the west side, noting their jobs in West Maui and fears over what will happen if the pali is closed and their kids are attending schools far away.

West Maui parent Leilani Keli'ikipi, who has a son entering his freshman year at Lahainaluna, asked multiple questions of DOE Superintendent Keith Hayashi, referencing the loss of friends and family that students have been dealing with.

"What more are you going to put us through?" she asked Hayashi. "You are superintendent, are you not? What is your power? What are you going to do for us?" 

She also questioned the DOE's plan to bus West Maui students to other schools.

"Nobody discussed anything with the parents," she said. 

Keli'ikipi said the DOE should have started the environmental testing sooner and acknowledged that water may not be safe. She said there could be water buffalo tanks placed at the school campuses. Keli'ikipi added that she feels like the DOE is not listening. 

"We do care, we do, and I understand the frustration, I really do," Hayashi said in response. "You are here because you care about your children, you care about the Lahaina community, and we do, too." 

As for why things were not done sooner, Hayashi said, "If we could go back and do it again, you know, we would make, perhaps different decisions and so I apologize for that. I am here though today, to generally hear your concerns, as you have been sharing and taking them in.

"It will be considered in part of the process moving forward."

Firefighter Aina Kohler, who lost her home and was also involved in battling the Lahaina fire, pointed out what she feels is the lack of communication to the community. She said that from the time the DOE sent an Aug. 12 email encouraging parents to enroll elsewhere until now, "we have heard nothing."

"You already have our emails," she said. 

"Nobody has received anything."

Principal Gary Kanamori of Princess Nahi'ena'ena Elementary said they are working with the state to put out information, and added that "different schools do different things." His school relies on Seesaw, a platform for student engagement, which also involves teachers and families, and a program called School Messenger, a platform for school community engagement. 

When the school saw people not getting their messages because they didn't have internet access, they had to "shift gears" and parents may have received messages via methods such as text messages, email and voice recordings by Kanamori. Schools may also use School Messenger to communicate along with their websites, Kanamori said. 

As some students shift to other campuses, families wondered if hotels could serve as temporary school locations. Parent and Kamehameha III Elementary teacher Cassie Coonradt said prior to the meeting that she would like some hotels to open their doors just to the students. She said it would be ideal as families may already be staying there, and the hotels have cooking facilities and lawns that could provide play areas.

Coonradt, who came with her 8-year-old daughter, Dazie Zernay, said she is fortunate that she did not lose her home and knows that other educators may not want to go back to the classroom just yet. However, "I'm ready to work," she said.

Maui state Rep. Justin Woodson, who is chairman of the House Committee on Education, said during the Kahana meeting that James Tokioka, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, spoke to hotels who explained they have liability issue concerns about hosting students.

Hayashi said the DOE has reached out to other places that could serve as temporary sites and has also been approached by some who have offered to help.

"If feedback was yes, we can do it. We would explore that," Hayashi said. 

The DOE is also offering distance learning, but some parents pointed out that they've been put on the waiting list.

DOE spokeswoman Nanea Kalani said after the Kahana meeting that to meet the existing demand, the department is internally recruiting for distance learning teachers and has ordered more than 400 devices that are expected early next week and will be loaded with programs. 

Kalani said the waiting list has about 300 students "that we are trying to accommodate as soon as possible."

She added that the DOE is also looking for places in West Maui where learning opportunities similar to summer programs can be held between now and the tentative opening of the three West Maui schools after fall break.

She said no one will be penalized if students want to "pause" their schooling until the Lahaina schools reopen. 

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

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