Proposed Lana’i High Expansion Calls for 50 Acre Transfer

By Wendy Osher

Source: Google Maps, Gerald Park Urban Planner, and State of Hawai'i Dept. of Education. Click image to view in detail.

The County of Maui is proposing the transfer approximately 50 acres to the state for the proposed expansion of Lana’i High and Elementary School.

Some of the existing facilities on campus date back to 1937, with the newest structure built in 1976. The state Department of Education (DOE) hopes to upgrade the campus to accommodate forecasted enrollment increases, provide new, modern equipment, and expand educational opportunities.

The Master Plan was developed to guide the future of the school over the next 25 years. It is based on projected enrollment of 700 students: 320 in grades 9-12, 170 in Grades 6-8, and 210 in K-5.

It also includes plans for a teacher-housing and a community college component. Approximately 1.5 acres is set aside in the plan at the corner of Fraser Avenue and 5th Street for a Community College building and off street parking.

The proposed expansion would be on land adjacent to the existing campus—west and makai of the school. The principal expansion area includes approximately 42 acres of County land formerly cultivated in pineapple, and located makai of the existing Lana’i Park.

The DOE has prepared a master plan for the expansion of the campus, as well as a Final Environmental Assessment with a finding of No Significant Impact.