West Maui families still seeking places to enroll students in in-person learning may temporarily relocate to designated schools in Central and South Maui, and bus transportation will be provided in coming days, the state Department of Education announced today.

The DOE is “designating the following temporary sites for students to return to learning environments with their teachers and peers to help facilitate the healing process and restore some sense of normalcy as we await clearance for the Lahaina campuses to reopen,” a DOE news release said. “The Lahaina schools will retain their school status, but in temporary locations.”

>> Grades K-5: Students from King Kamehameha III Elementary and Princess Nahienaena Elementary will be temporarily assigned to either Wailuku Elementary, or Kamalii Elementary in Kihei.

>> Grades 6-8: Lahaina Intermediate students will be temporarily assigned to Lokelani Intermediate in Kihei.

>> Grades 9-12: For Lahainaluna High School students, their school will temporarily function as a “school within a school” at Kulanihakoi High School in Kihei.

The DOE said it is coordinating bus transportation for West Maui students to get to and from the temporary school sites, and hubs for pick up and drop off of general education students are being determined. Interested families should obtain and complete a bus application at their new school as soon as possible, the DOE said.

Bus transportation for general education students will be provided only for the designated schools for students still residing in Lahaina, the release said.

“For families who remain in Lahaina and are not able to take advantage of this option, the Department is working on plans to offer community-based learning activities in West Maui, but families are advised that programming will not look like traditional education provided in schools,” the release said.

West Maui students who are already enrolled at other schools or in the state’s distance learning are unaffected and do not have to make further changes, the DOE said.

“We are still very hopeful that our Lahaina schools will be able to reopen, but not until we are assured that it is safe to do so,” state Schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in the release. “In the meantime we need to be able to provide options for families and students who want to access education outside of West Maui. We are also still actively pursuing temporary learning sites in West Maui to be able to provide options within the community.”

The department is organizing a family and community meeting Aug. 30, with details to come, the DOE said. Families and staff who are facing internet challenges and who need assistance can call the DOE’s support hotline at 808-727-6880, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.