The oceanfront school appears to be nearly a total loss
Posted: August 11, 2023
Mindi Cherry, a first-grade teacher at King Kamehameha III Elementary School in Lāhainā, is dealing with the overwhelming shock of losing both her family’s home and her classroom after wildfires ravaged the historic town Tuesday and Wednesday. She is one of more than 50 Maui educators have either lost their homes entirely in the fires or their homes suffered damage to the extent that they have to temporarily relocate.
On Friday, Cherry and her family traveled to what used to be their home in the Puamana Nui neighborhood between Front Street and Honoapiʻilani Highway to take a look at what little was left. Cherry is accepting donations to her Venmo account to help rebuild.
At midday Tuesday, as the fires burned, Cherry said, “We had put some clothes in a bag just in case, but to be honest, throughout tsunamis — and we had a fire five years ago and we had another fire — we’ve had to evacuate a few times. And we thought it’s going to be like all the other times. We’re going to be fine.”
They evacuated toward the mountains when they saw the fire heading to the ocean and looked down on a horrific site: “We could see explosions happening. It was just explosion after explosion.”
After the fires subsided, Cherry said, “There’s been a lot of support from people which I feel very fortunate for.” Several teacher colleagues called and offered shelter to Cherry, her husband, two daughters, and three dogs.
Her classroom, like most of the facilities on the beautiful oceanfront campus of King Kamehameha III Elementary, was destroyed in the flames. The school was founded in 1913 and named for the king who once lived on the property, which is also where Hawaiʻi’s first Legislature met.
Mindi Cherry shares photos of King Kamehameha III Elementary taken before and after flames ravaged the campus and shots of the rubble left behind at her home.
One of those who called to check in on Cherry was Christopher Chang, the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association UniServ Director who represents teachers at schools in Lāhainā, on other parts of Maui and on Molokaʻi.
“When Chris Chang called, I said, ‘Well, do I have a job? What do I have here on Maui? Because I want to stay. This is my home,’” Cherry said.
HSTA Deputy Director Andrea Eshelman said, “Even though schools are currently closed, the HSTA contract protects teachers’ rights and they continue to be paid during this difficult time. In addition, as we transition into determining how we can meet the needs of our students and members, HSTA will continue to advocate for a clear and transparent process as we figure out how to reopen schools.”
Eshelman added, “UniServ Director Christopher Chang has been a pillar of strength for our members. This community is his home and he cares greatly about our members, their families, students and the community at large. We have additional staff on Maui and will continue to do so in the coming days to ensure we can continue to support our members during this difficult time.”
Cherry and her family are staying in a hotel for now, and have other temporary lodging arranged for the next several weeks.
‘Thankfully we have all of that secured through the end of the month. After the end of the month, we don’t know what we’re going to do,” Cherry said.
As for her classroom in a burned-out building, Cherry was sad to note that just a few days ago, “we threw out all of our old textbooks and replaced them with brand new math and language arts textbooks.
“All of that is lost and we just have to start over again,” she added.
Besides teaching first grade, Cherry is the data team leader at her elementary school and served as president of its Aloha Club last school year. The club throws an annual party for teachers, distributing merchandise, prizes, and gift certificates from Lāhainā-area restaurants, resorts, and stores.
“The community in Lāhāina is just so awesome,” Cherry said, and now, “everything’s gone.”
Justin Hughey, a third-grade special education teacher at King Kamehameha III Elementary, said, “Even though I lost my classroom, I’m the lucky one. I didn’t lose my home.”
Hughey said the school community is still in shock. “Everything that all those teachers have accumulated is gone. It’s kind of hard to process.”
Hughey was especially worried about losing important resources to help his special education students learn, including customized Orton-Gillingham lesson plans, flashcards, and worksheets.
“I ended up emailing Ron Yoshimoto, the instructor in Honolulu who gave me those materials in 2007, and told him my room was burned, and he said he put all the materials in a box along with $200 and shipped it to my house, so that’s amazing,” Hughey said.
Those who wish to contribute money towards the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association’s Maui fire relief effort may send checks in any amount to HSTA. Money donated will be provided directly to our teacher members impacted by the wildfires. Please make your check out to HSTA and send it to HSTA Attn: Maui Fire Relief, 1200 Ala Kapuna St., Honolulu, HI 96819. Please note: HSTA is not a 501(c)(3) and any donation is NOT tax deductible.
The HSTA is also sharing crowdfunding campaigns of its members who’ve lost homes because of the fires.
More than 100 active and retired Maui educators have either lost their homes entirely in the fires or their homes suffered damage to the extent that they have to temporarily relocate. The HSTA has issued relief checks to those educators and plans a second round of payments in late December 2023.