Maui High School to receive $10 million endowment from anonymous donor

A Maui High School graduate has committed a $10 million endowment to the Maui High School Foundation, a gift that is likely the largest endowment ever to be made from a graduate to a Hawai‘i public school.

“This is a monumental moment for our school and we are so grateful. When I told my foundation staff about it, they were very emotional,” said Maui High School principal Jamie Yap. “This endowment will ensure that our students are able to pursue their educational passions during and beyond high school, a gift that will keep on giving for a long time.”

This is the largest single monetary donation in the school’s history. While the donor has chosen to remain anonymous, Yap has spent time with the donor to better understand the wishes and intentions for the funds.

“This gift will be for all Maui High students who qualify,” notes Yap. “What our donor is saying is, ‘Go follow your dreams, I’ll help you.’ We hope this inspires our kids to be resilient and put in the hard work. We hope this shows them that their dreams are possible, no matter their circumstances or where they started from.”

According to Yap, the endowment will be received by the Maui High School Foundation and be used to aid students in multiple ways — band, athletics, STEM, Career and Technical Educational pathways, arts, foreign language, special education, etc. — and give students opportunities they never had. The endowment will also create more scholarships for seniors to pursue college and vocational careers. 

“The endowment will also encourage expanding the foundation’s database and its ability to connect with former graduates,” says Yap. “We are currently creating a foundation office on campus to be more accessible to our community.”

“We want our graduates to give back to Maui High. It takes a community to raise a child. We should not just rely on government money. It only goes so far,” Yap said.

Maui High School (MHS) was founded in 1913 in the community of Hamakuapoko, and was the first academic high school on the island with an initial enrollment of 16 students. MHS is currently located in Kahului, Maui, and serves students in grades 9-12 in the central and southeastern districts of the island. The school has an enrollment of 1,826 students, making it the largest high school on Maui and one of the 10 largest public high schools in the state.