Update: Community meeting to gather feedback on new proposed site to rebuild King Kamehameha III Elementary school in Lahaina

Update: Oct. 29, 2024

The community meeting to gather feedback on a new proposed site to rebuild King Kamehameha III Elementary School has been rescheduled to Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 5 p.m.

The meeting was originally scheduled for Nov. 4, but with its proximity to Election Day, officials who have election-related responsibilities have requested that the Hawai‘i State Department of Education move the date of the meeting. The meeting will still be held in the cafeteria of the King Kamehameha III Elementary School temporary site at Pulelehua (100 Akahele St., Lahaina).

The aim of the meeting is to solicit community feedback on a new, proposed site of up to 16 acres from landowner Kamehameha Schools in Ku‘ia, Lahaina, that could serve as the permanent home for rebuilding the elementary school, which was damaged in the Aug. 2023 wildfires. 

Rebuilding at the school’s original Front Street campus has proven unfeasible due to factors beyond the department’s control, including the discovery of iwi kūpuna, the parcel being too small for rebuilding, and environmental development requirements, the department said. The department is currently in the process of returning the original site to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the County of Maui. According to the department, the two other sites that were presented at community meetings over the summer were not preferred by stakeholders and also presented challenges for rebuilding.

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The Hawai‘i State Department of Education is seeking community feedback for a new proposed site up to 16 acres from landowner Kamehameha Schools in Ku‘ia, Lahaina, that could serve as the permanent home for rebuilding King Kamehameha III Elementary School, which was damaged in the Aug. 8 wildfires. 

Rebuilding at the original Front Street campus has proven unfeasible due to factors beyond the Department’s control, including the discovery of iwi kupuna, the parcel being too small for rebuilding, and environmental development requirements, according to a HIDOE update.

The Department is currently in the process of returning the land to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources and the County of Maui.

Two other sites (including the current temporary site) that were presented at community meetings over the summer were not preferred by stakeholders and also presented challenges for rebuilding.

The community meeting to gather feedback will be held at 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 4 at the cafeteria of the temporary King Kamehameha III Elementary School site at Pulelehua (100 Akahele St., Lahaina).  Interested community attendees are encouraged to complete a pre-registration form online at: https://bit.ly/KKIII-site.