New high hchool in Kihei gets official name

Schools
Kiheihs rendering classrooms 1200
Artistʻs rendering of classroom building exteriors at the new Kūlanihākoʻi High School campus, currently under construction. | Hawaii State Department of Education

It’s official. The name of the school under construction in Kihei, Maui, is now Kulanihakoi High School.

The Hawaii State Board of Education approved the name, which honors the Kūlanihākoʻi Stream and gulch that runs along the north side of the campus. The stream was once a life source sustaining the Kaʻonoʻulu ahupuaʻa, bringing life to the land through farms and fishponds.

“The official naming of our campus is a long-awaited decision that will give our school community a unified identity and our students a proud shared history throughout their lives,” Kūlanihākoi High School Principal Halle Maxwell said in a recent news release from Gov. David Ige’s office. “We want to thank our dedicated naming hui volunteers and our community members for bringing their unique perspectives and collective expertise together to honor Hawaiian culture and the rich history of this land.”

As outlined under Board Policy 301-8, campus names are required to be a unique identifier to promote and represent a school’s location or identity, and they must be approved by the Board of Education; the release said. The Hawaii State Department of Education recommended the name after comprehensive research by a committee made up of Native Hawaiian cultural experts, educators, historians, archaeologists, researchers, school officials, community members and students.

Kūlanihākoi High School opened to ninth-graders at the start of the 2022-23 school year at the temporary site of Lokelani Intermediate School until Phase II of construction is completed at the end of 2022. Phase II includes construction of the upper campus, featuring the administration offices, classrooms, library, cafeteria, physical education locker rooms, a play court, a temporary playfield, and open spaces.

Initial plans are to relocate to the new campus over the winter break and officially open to all grade levels to launch the January 2023 spring semester. The campus is designed for a full-capacity enrollment of 1,600 students.