Kīhei Charter School Construction Two-Thirds Complete

With the help of a large crane workers carefully maneuver a 35 ton, 30 foot high concrete wall into place as the construction of the Kihei Charter School continues on schedule for a fall opening. The wall is one of 20 that are being built on site and lifted into place for the new school.

The Kīhei Charter School is moving from foundation to walls as the school begins to take shape in the Maui Research and Technology Park above Piʻilani Highway in Kīhei.

Construction is two-thirds of the way to completion with the installation of walls measuring 30 feet tall and 18-22 feet wide.

Gene Zarro, CEO of the South Maui Learning ʻOhana that operates the free no tuition public school, says family Information sessions about the school will start towards the end of February with the first application period to take place in March. A lottery will take place during the first week of April for those with completed applications submitted. Anyone living on Maui is eligible to apply.

This artist rendering of the Kihei Charter High School shows its location off of Lipoa Parkway in the Maui Research and Technical Park. Above the site is an existing water tank that serves South Maui. The school is scheduled for completion in August 2018 and will house 625 students in grades K-12. Photo Courtesy

The tilt up walls are first poured in molds laying flat on the ground at the school site. Then, after they are dry and cured for five days they are ready to be lifted into place and joined with other similar walls.

There will be 20 walls put into place in total for the 3-story school. Terry Fulton, Superintendent on the Job for the general contractor F&H Construction said the tilt up walls reduce the time and cost to build the charter school.