MILILANI — Mililani Middle School's new three-story Building J was officially dedicated today by students, parents, staff and community leaders. The new structure houses 15 classrooms to serve Mililani Middle's 1,660 students and provides the expanded capacity needed to allow the school to adopt a single-track calendar in the upcoming 2022-23 school year.
“The new classroom facilities will create engaging learning spaces for Mililani Middle’s students to achieve academic success. The adoption of a single-track calendar will help the school maintain a consistent schedule for students and families,” interim Superintendent Keith Hayashi said. “We want to thank our area legislators and partners at the City & County of Honolulu for their support in making this important project possible for the Mililani community.”
Mililani Middle School currently serves 1,660 students in grades 6-8 who come from five elementary feeder schools in the Mililani Complex. Since its opening in 1998, the middle school has operated on a year-round, multi-track calendar to provide the large number of students equitable access to classrooms, teachers and facilities. Students are divided into four groups called tracks that allow instructional time and breaks periods at regular intervals to be distributed among the tracks independently throughout the year. These different instructional schedules allow three-fourths of the student body to be in school at any given time.
"Our new classroom building will help to improve the quality of life for all of our students and their families moving forward," said Principal Elynne Chung. “After 24 years on a multi-track calendar, our upcoming switch to a single track will mean our families who have other children at the elementary or high school levels will be able to coordinate their daily schedules more easily, including aspects that are easily taken for granted, like scheduling childcare, medical appointments, commutes and family trips.”
At the start of the upcoming school year on August 1, 2022, Mililani Middle will be able to accommodate its entire student body on campus at the same time.
"Many families like mine are thankful for this new building because it means my school schedule will finally match with my siblings at the elementary and high school," said seventh-grader Paul Gardner. "I'm more excited about having all of my friends on campus with me at the same time... I know there are many students like us who are stoked to be learning in these new spaces next year."
The new classroom building was built on approximately one acre of land previously owned by the City & County of Honolulu's Department of Parks and Recreation that was formerly part of the adjacent Mililani Mauka Community Park. It includes 34,000 square feet of space, along with utilities and a parking area off of Kuaoa St. at an approximate construction cost of $16.8 million.
Mililani Middle is currently the state's largest middle school and has the 11th largest enrollment among public schools statewide, following 10 high schools.
