Lahaina weighs future school sites for King Kamehameha III

Civic engagement in Lahaina remained strong Tuesday evening, with about 100 community members and staff gathering to discuss potential sites for King Kamehameha III Elementary School’s permanent location.

Two West Maui sites are under consideration: Kuʻia, a 16-acre parcel in Lahaina town offered by Kamehameha Schools; and Pulelehua, a 13-acre site in Honokōwai, about seven miles from the original Front Street campus.

Most community members who spoke up in the meeting did not appear to have strong support for either site, but instead raised questions about the decision-making process, timeline and future plans for a third elementary school to serve West Maui.

Eighty-year-old Lahaina resident Lawrence Cabanilla, a former student who attended King Kamehameha III Elementary when it was a two-story school, and lost his family home in the 2023 fire, told Maui Now that the decision feels clear-cut. He supports the Kuʻia site.

Both sites offer a significantly larger land area than the original school’s five acres, but Cabanilla says there should be more room to expand the school in the future. “We have a lot of disaster victims that are not in Lahaina, and they’re attending schools on the west side and south side,” he said. “When they come back, they’re going to need a larger area to expand.”

Cabanilla also values Kuʻia’s potential multiple access routes, which could serve as evacuation options in an emergency. And most important to Cabanilla, he feels Kuʻia offers the best chance for his 32 grandchildren to have a good quality of life.

“I think we should concentrate on having the coexistence of the community and the school together,” Cabanilla said. “In an area of close proximity to town and intermediate schools, families will be able to go from ‘A to Z’ without having to go far.”

The sentiment was shared by Lahaina businessman Howard Kihune Sr. and workforce housing developer Howie Kihune Jr., who recently co-authored an Op-Ed in favor of the Kuʻia site, citing the shorter commute as a major benefit to Lahaina families.

An even closer option would have been to rebuild the original Front Street campus, the most favored site by stakeholders at a community meeting in May, but this is no longer an option. The Hawai‘i State Department of Education (HIDOE) deemed it unfeasible due to the discovery of iwi kūpuna, limited space for rebuilding, and environmental development requirements.

It was one of three sites that were considered back in May: Front Street, Pulelehua, and Kāʻanapali. The Kāʻanapali location was also ruled out due to insufficient infrastructure tied to ongoing development, although the state retains an agreement with the developer to allocate land for HIDOE.

This leaves Ku‘ia and Pulelehua as the only apparent options. Following the May meeting, Kamehameha Schools offered its 16-acre Ku‘ia parcel, expressing support for the community’s desire to keep King Kamehameha III Elementary School in Lahaina, where it has stood for over a century. View Kamehameha Schools’ full statement by clicking here.

The other considered site, Pulelehua, is nearest the school’s current temporary campus just off Honoapiʻilani Highway between Kāʻanapali and Nāpili, and offers a reduced commute time for families living near Nāpili and Kahana.

Unlike Kuʻia, Pulelehua has an existing agreement with its developer to provide a site for the school. Pulelehua’s land use is designated as Urban and considered school-ready, while Kuʻia is agriculturally zoned. The price of Pulelehua is nominal while the cost of Kuʻia is undetermined, according to HIDOE.

Maui County Council member Tamara Paltin was in attendance at the community meeting on Tuesday evening. She remained neutral, but said that she would support the will of her West Maui community.

Among the many factors the West Maui community must evaluate, Paltin highlighted that Pulelehua is also a master planned community with 400 affordable rental units and another 400 market rate homes planned that may offer convenience for some families. In either case, she believes the state is moving in a positive direction.

HIDOE officials also mentioned building a third school in Lahaina, a proposition many community members have posited for over a decade. Hāna-Lahainaluna-Lāna‘i-Moloka‘i Complex Area Superintendent Rebecca Winkie said that the need for a third school will be considered if and when population growth requires another school.

Although King Kamehameha III Elementary’s enrollment has dropped from around 600 students to 357 total, and Princess Nāhi‘ena‘ena Elementary’s enrollment has also dipped since the 2023 wildfires, Winkie said the expectation is for the region to repopulate and need another school.

King Kamehameha III Elementary School Principal Ian Haskins says that HIDOE should already be planning to build two schools. And in terms of which school comes first, he says Pulelehua might serve more immediate needs, population-wise.

“I would think a school up north would be appropriate for right now,” said Haskins. “When Lahaina Town is rebuilt, there will be a need for a school there as well. So I believe we need to plan for that school, but right now the population is for our school community.”

Urgency surrounds the school site decision, with FEMA funding set to expire in three years. HIDOE currently leases the temporary campus site for $1 annually, but says the rate will increase significantly in Years 4 and 5.

HIDOE said there is no plans to hold another meeting about proposed sites, making Tuesday’s meeting likely the last that will involve the West Maui community on the matter.

Community feedback was collected during breakout sessions and will be compiled into a final report, according to HIDOE.

The final decision will rest with HIDOE Superintendent Keith T. Hayashi.

Digital comments encouraged online

Additional community feedback is currently being accepted via an online form until Dec. 3.

“If you want to have your voice heard, please go online and make a comment,” said principal Haskins.

Click here to access the form. A recording of the meeting will be posted on the school’s website here.