Most Maui schools to reopen, while Lahaina elementary school 'damaged beyond repair'
Students will be welcomed back on Wednesday in most Maui schools, while others will only reopen when it is safe to return.
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LAHAINA, Hawaii - Most Maui schools will reopen this week for the new school year, while other schools will remain closed due to extensive damage from the historic Hawaii wildfires.
Students will be welcomed back on Wednesday in most Maui schools, the Hawaii public school system superintendent Keith Hayashi said. According to the Hawaii Department of Education official school calendar, the school year was supposed to begin on August 7.
Other schools on the island will only reopen when it is safe to return. Those schools include King Kekaulike High in central Maui near the Upcountry wildfire, Princess Nahi‘ena‘ena Elementary in the western Maui town of Lahaina, along with Lāhainā Intermediate and Lahainaluna High.
King Kamehameha III Elementary School prior to the historic Hawaii wildfires.
(Michael Siluk / UCG / Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
However, one school on Lahaina’s Front Street will remain closed for the foreseeable future.
"Sadly, King Kamehameha III Elementary on Front Street was damaged beyond repair," Hayashi said.
He noted that assessments are being made about the close campuses and options are being considered for King Kamehameha III Elementary students and other students who remain in West Maui.
A Maui building destroyed by the wildfires. August 2023.
(Robert Ray / FOX Weather)
Hayashi encouraged students and families who were displaced by the fires and are living outside Lahaina to enroll children in a neighborhood school close to them, even if the housing situation is temporary.
By having the children in school, they can be provided with support, such as meals and mental health services, according to Hayashi.
"Our hearts are heavy, and the road to recovery will be long, but I have faith in our collective strength to support one another and our students," he said. "Together, we will heal, we will rebuild, and Lāhainā and Maui will thrive once more."
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In this video from Tuesday, August 8, the Lahaina Public Library on the island of Maui is on fire.
As of Tuesday, over 500 structures were destroyed by the Kula fire in Upcountry Maui, while the Lahaina fire in western Maui destroyed more than 2,200 structures.
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