Three Lahaina schools to reopen to students starting Oct. 16

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) Tuesday announced reopening details for three Lahaina public schools, and said the federal government will build a new temporary school site after deadly wildfires in August shuttered the schools for nearly two months.

During a joint news conference on Maui Tuesday, Schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi outlined exactly how Lahainaluna High, Lahaina Intermediate, and Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary schools will begin welcoming back students after fall break.

Hayashi said Lahainaluna High staff will return to their school on Oct. 6 for a training day, then have fall break from Oct. 9 to 13, with Monday, Oct. 16 being the first day for students at their home campus. Thursday, Oct. 5, will be Lahainaluna High’s last day at its temporary school site at Kūlanihākoʻi High School in Kihei.

Students from King Kamehameha III Elementary School, which was destroyed in the blaze, will share a campus with Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary until the department builds a temporary replacement school site for King Kamehameha III, Hayashi said.

Staff from the two elementary schools and Lahaina Intermediate will report for a training day on Oct. 6. Students return to Lahaina Intermediate on Tuesday, Oct. 17, and to Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary on Wednesday, Oct. 18.

Hayashi said families of Lahaina schools can choose to have their keiki return to their original schools, stay enrolled in central and south Maui schools, or enroll in the state’s distance learning program.

Gov. Josh Green spoke about the importance of education during the community’s rebuilding efforts at the news conference.

“Education is going to be central to everything that we do for our keiki. We have to provide our students their education and their families an opportunity to get their kids back in school because that is in many ways the most normal thing that our children do,” Green said.

School sites deemed safe for reopening after safety, environmental testing

During a series of community meetings on Maui last month, the HIDOE announced a tentative plan to reopen schools after fall break. Hayashi said during Tuesday’s news conference that “a major reason why we’re able to set these reopening plans is because of the partnership and consultation with the state Department of Health.”

Dr. Kenneth Fink, director of the state Department of Health (DOH), expressed at Tuesday’s news conference that “through extensive testing have we determined that it is safe to actually proceed (with school reopenings) at this time.”

Fink said that the air quality, which is one of the most important safety factors, is measuring green, which means good, “indicating that it’s safe to return to the campuses.” The DOH set up air quality monitors in each of the Lahaina campuses set to reopen.

The DOH cleaned the schools’ surfaces of debris and remediated the spaces. After several rounds of testing, the health department says drinking water is safe and water pressure is good. Although the DOH recommended against soil testing because of the lack of ash, the HIDOE wanted the testing completed out of an abundance of caution.

“Those results of the soil testing were again extremely reassuring. For the testing at Nāhiʻenaʻena and at Lahaina Intermediate, the soil results were all within standards and are currently safe. For Lahainaluna High School, there was an isolated finding and half the samples have a slightly elevated nickel level,” Fink said. “This is not uncommon in volcanic soil, and it’s well below the EPA threshold, so we are confident that all those soil samples are safe for folks to return into those areas.”

Hayashi said the department “will be completing professional cleaning of all interior and exterior spaces and finalizing health and safety guidelines” before schools reopen for staff and students.

HSTA President Osa Tui, Jr. said, “The HSTA appreciates Gov. Green, the BOE, HIDOE, and DOH for helping to address the many complexities involved in working towards the safe reopening of Lahaina schools for our students, teachers, and other school staff.

“The HSTA is confident that the necessary steps have been taken and will continue to occur to ensure everyone’s safety. The HSTA will continue to monitor the situation on Maui, staying in close touch with the department and our members to ensure that our school communities are safe places in which to learn and work,” Tui added.

Details emerge on King Kamehameha III temporary school site

As an immediate, short-term solution, the department will set up high-quality tents with power, air conditioning, and wood floors to “create a comfortable teaching and learning environment” at Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena to accommodate both its students and students from King Kamehameha III Elementary, which was destroyed by the wildfires.

In the coming months, the department will open a temporary campus for Kamehameha III staff and students at Pulelehua, a mixed-use community currently in development along Honoapiʻilani Highway between Kāʻanapali and Nāpili. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will finance the $5 million temporary school, whose estimated completion time is 95 days. The temporary site will be in place until a permanent school can be built.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will build the temporary site and oversee its design and installation, working with the HIDOE on the specifications. The process of finalizing the design and identifying contractors will follow HIDOE’s square footage and capacity guidance and prioritize hiring local contractors, officials said.

Col. Jesse T. Curry, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recovery field office commander, said, “This school may be temporary, but will stand as a reminder that despite grief and loss, Lahaina’s children will have a space to continue to learn, to dream, and to thrive.”