Community members are being asked for feedback on a potential site for the rebuilding of King Kamehameha III Elementary School.
LAHAINA, Hawaii (KHON2) — Community members are being asked for feedback on a potential site for the rebuilding of King Kamehameha III Elementary School.
Officials from the Hawaii State Department of Education announced that Kamehameha Schools has offered 16 acres of its land in Kaia, Lahaina.
After King Kamehameha III Elementary School was damaged in the Aug. 8, 2023 Lahaina wildfires, community members voiced they preferred the school be kept in Lahaina and hoped to have it near the original Front Street location.
Earlier this year, the DOE held a meeting presenting two other possible rebuilding locations. Both locations “were not preferred by stakeholders and also presented challenges for rebuilding.”
According to HIDOE, the school cannot be rebuilt in the original location due to factors such as “the discovery of iwi kupuna, the parcel being too small for rebuilding and the environmental development requirements.”
The land will be returned to the Department of Land and Natural Resources and Maui County.
DOE officials will hold a community meeting in November to gather feedback on the proposed site.
Those interested in attending should head to the cafeteria at King Kamehameha III Elementary School’s temporary Pulelehua site on Nov. 4 at 5 p.m.
Pre-register for the event through the following Google Doc.