Overview:
King Kamehameha III Elementary School on Front Street in Lahaina was damaged beyond repair in the Aug. 8 wildfires.
The displaced students and staff of King Kamehameha III Elementary temporarily shared facilities with Princess Nāhi‘ena‘ena Elementary in West Maui in portable tent structures for four months while the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) constructed a temporary replacement campus in Pulelehua, which opened to students on April 1, 2024.
The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) is now in the process of identifying a permanent location to rebuild the school.
Timeline:
- August 8, 2023 - Wildfire destroys King Kamehameha III Elementary School
- August 9, 2023 - All Lahaina schools closed
- September 19, 2023 - HIDOE distance learning hub opens in West Maui
- September 26, 2023 - HIDOE announces temporary campus for King Kamehameha III Elementary will be built at Pulelehua; FEMA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) fund and begin construction
- October 11, 2023 - USACE civil engineers survey site conditions and confirm utility locations
- October 18, 2023 - King Kamehameha III and Princess Nāhi‘ena‘ena Elementary reopen on a shared campus at Princess Nāhi‘ena‘ena Elementary
- March 13, 2024 - Last day for classes at Princess Nāhi‘ena‘ena Elementary
- April 1, 2024 - New temporary campus at Pulelehua for King Kamehameha III opens to students
- May 21, 2024 - HIDOE holds meeting for community feedback on location of permanent site for King Kamehameha III Elementary School
- June 14, 2024 - Community Feedback Report published
- Nov 19, 2024 - Second public meeting held for community feedback on location of permanent site for King Kamehameha III Elementary School
- Jan. 3, 2025 - Second Community Feedback Report published
