Kīhei High School Gets $130M in Draft Budget

Kihei High School EIS. Courtesy image.

By Wendy Osher

Full funding for a new Kīhei High School, in the amount of $130 million, is included in a draft version of the legislative budget that is now headed to the full House and Senate for final votes.

The two chambers are contributing $65 million each for the project under HB200, HD1., which gained committee approval on Tuesday.

Rep. Kaniela Ing, whose district includes the South Maui town of Kīhei, said in a press release announcing the allocation, “I am also extremely grateful to my fellow legislative members in both chambers who prioritized the long-awaited educational needs of our keiki over projects that may have been closer to home for them.”

Rep. Ing, who also sits on the House Finance Committee, acknowledged Senator Roz Baker for her work in helping to secure funds in the Senate, and the people of Maui who submitted testimony in support of the project.

“We owe this success to everyone on Maui who submitted testimony and rallied around the cause,” said Ing. He continued saying, “A special thanks to KCA and the Kīhei High School action group for their years of hard work, from over a decade before I was even elected. They all made this happen.”

According to Ing, the full funding and design-building approach to the Kīhei High School project is projected to save the state $20 million to $25 million, when compared to a standard phased-in approach.

He said construction is expected to begin as early as the Summer of 2014.

***Supporting information courtesy Rep. Kaniela Ing.