ÌìÃÀÊÓƵ

The Hawaii Department of Education announced on Friday that it will not rebuild King Kamehameha III Elementary School at its original Front Street location, despite strong community support around returning the campus to Lahaina. The historic school was destroyed in the wildfires in August 2023.

Earlier this year, DOE identified three potential locations for rebuilding the school: its original campus on Front Street, Puukolii Village Mauka in Kaanapali or the Pulelehua Project, a housing development near the Kapalua Airport. The Pulelehua Project has hosted a temporary school for King Kamehameha III Elementary students since April.

At the time, the department said it favored the Pulelehua Project because it was the only site that could host a campus in the next three to five years. But more than half of surveyed community members said they didn’t want a permanent campus at the Pulelehua Project and would prefer the elementary school returned to its original Front Street location.

DOE leaders now say they’re unable to rebuild the school on Front Street because of the limited space available. Human remains were found on the site during debris removal, and DOE is in the process of returning the land to the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Maui County, said public works administrator Jadine Urasaki during a community meeting on Wednesday.

The department is considering a fourth site near Lahaina town but has not disclosed the location or the current landowner. Complex area superintendent Rebecca Winkie said the department will hold another community meeting once it can make more details about the location available.

DOE originally planned to announce a permanent site for the school in June. Communications director Nanea Kalani said there’s no set timeline for the decision at this time.

Civil Beat’s education reporting is supported by a grant from Chamberlin Family Philanthropy.