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Survey asks children’s preference for rebuilding King Kamehameha III Elementary while focusing on 2 sites

The Hawai’i Department of Education is asking students from King Kamehameha III Elementary where they might prefer to go to school, but they’re only getting two options to choose from.

King Kamehameha III Elementary School is currently located at a temporary site in Pulelehua, built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after 600 students lost their school in the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfire.

While the students have only been at this location since April, HIDOE representatives are saying that due to the pressure of a possible increase in rent and a lingering fear that FEMA funds may dry up, they are expediting the process to find a permanent location.

According to a press release, the current ground lease for the temporary campus is $1 per year for the first three years and may increase to $180,000 in the fourth year and $230,000 in the fifth year. The modular structures on the campus are being leased.

Currently, HIDOE representatives are asking residents, educators and students where they would prefer the permanent location to be while saying the school’s previous location on Front Street is off the table. There was a second possible location in Ka’anapali that is no longer being considered due to a “lack of infrastructure tied to the status of the development there.”

Along with hosting community meetings, HIDOE is using a survey to acquire feedback from the children, asking the students whether they would prefer to have their school at their current location or the Ku’ia area closer to Lahaina town. The Ku’ia location is being offered by Kamehameha Schools.

According to the survey, “Pulelehua is next door to our current temporary school location” and is “most likely the fastest place to begin to rebuild.” The survey also states that “this larger location has options to expand and grow in the future.”

Under the section for Ku’ia, the survey says the location is closer to Lahaina and other schools and up to 16 acres may be available for the school, but the “timeline is unknown because further discussions are needed.”

An image of the proposed King Kamehameha III Elementary School location offered by Kamehameha Schools in the Ku’ia District near Lahaina.

The survey asks students to check boxes “yes,” “maybe” and “no” under the two options as well as what is important about their school and if there is anything else they would like to share.

King Kamehameha III Elementary School Principal Ian Haskins said he may consider approaching the students with the sensitive subject internally, but it depends.

“We have not yet asked the children where they would rather rebuild their school, and I do think that’s a sensitive topic, but children do deserve a voice and choice,” he said.

Meanwhile the topic of where the school’s permanent location should be brought up many questions and concerns from adult residents during a meeting Wednesday night.

Hāna-Lahainaluna-Lāna’i-Molokai Complex Area Superintendent Rebecca Winkie led the meeting.

The meeting was also facilitated by a representative from Pa’akai Communications, a third-party communication firm that has a contract valued up to $14,380 from October to December with HIDOE.

According to a statement from the department, the firm is helping to organize and facilitate the King Kamehameha III community meetings and compiling a comprehensive report on the feedback received.

“Hiring an independent firm ensures feedback is gathered, analyzed and reported objectively without favoring any specific group or stakeholder,” according to the statement.

Questions came from the public about why they had to choose between just two sites so soon, and why the old location is not being pursued.

The school’s original site is rich with history. According to the school’s website, the building was named in 1913 after the Territorial Legislature passed a resolution to name the building in memory of the king who lived where the first Legislature gathered. The school also resided on a 5.6-acre campus on an archaeological site in the heart of the town close to the Lahaina harbor.

According to a press release, the original Front Street campus site “was most preferred by stakeholders who attended the May meetings,” but the site is not being considered “because factors beyond the department’s control, including the discovery of iwi kupuna, the parcel being too small for rebuilding, and environmental development requirements, make it not feasible for redevelopment.”

According to HIDOE, the site is being returned to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the County of Maui.

Wednesday’s meeting was HIDOE’s second public forum to gather feedback from the community on the future of King Kamehameha III Elementary.

A recording of the meeting will be made available on the school’s website. Feedback is being collected until Dec. 3.

According to a press release, after the feedback form closes, HIDOE’s Office of Facilities and Operations will review the report and make a recommendation to HIDOE’s leadership that considers such factors as timeline, cost, availability of infrastructure, physical and historical characteristics of the site, fire safety and community sentiment, among others.

Residents asked questions during the Hawai’i State Department of Education’s community meeting Tuesday evening about the school’s permanent future location. The Maui News/MEGAN MOSELEY

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