New Central Maui School Project

Ua ao Hawaiʻi ke ʻōlino nei mālamalama

Hawaiʻi is enlightened, for the brightness of day is here.

Hawaiʻi is in an era of education.

ʻŌlelo Noʻeau-2773

Ka waihona o ka naʻauao.

The repository of learning. A reference to a learned person.

ʻŌlelo Noʻeau-1650

E lawe i ke aʻo a mālama, a e ʻoi mau ka naʻauao.

He who takes his teachings and applies them increases his knowledge.

ʻŌlelo Noʻeau-328

Ua lehulehu a manomano ka ʻikena a ka Hawaiʻi.

Great and numerous is the knowledge of the Hawaiians.

ʻŌlelo Noʻeau-2814

E Kuahui like i ka hana.

Let everybody pitch in and work together.

ʻŌlelo Noʻeau-323

Waikapū i ka makani kokololio.

Waikapū of the gusty wind.

ʻŌlelo Noʻeau-2911

A Shared Community Vision

Our Goal

In 2031, we will open doors to the first phase of a new middle school, designed to support 600 students in grades 6-8. Subsequent additions will allow for phased enrollment growth.

In early 2026, a master site plan was developed for the New Central Maui School campus. This campus is planned to support up to 1,650 students, housing both a middle school and an elementary school. The plan is shaped by community input and aligned with regional needs, while providing a safe and secure learning environment that the DOE can reasonably maintain.

Background

In 2017, the Waikapū Country Town Development set aside just over 12 acres for an elementary school. In 2024, it committed an additional 14 acres for a middle school, bringing the total to 26 acres. The land will be developed into a new public school campus, intended to serve the growing central Maui community.

Legislative Support

The Hawai‘i State Legislature has appropriated $76 million to date for this school project, including a $37 million appropriation from fiscal year 2026.

Role of the School Facilities Authority

Following the Hawai‘i State Legislature's approval of funding for new elementary and middle schools in Central Maui, SFA is leading the development process. SFA has been charged by legislators to develop and utilize standards-based designs and specifications that enable accelerated construction. SFA will manage all aspects of this project, including community engagement, master planning, design, and construction, to ensure the timely delivery of these vital educational facilities.

Role of the Department of Education

The Hawai‘i Department of Education (DOE) will operate the completed school(s). DOE leaders and user representatives are involved throughout the process to advise on programmatic and curricular impact on space use and operational requirements to ensure the finished facility supports the DOE's educational goals.

Project Team

SFA is currently working with a number of expert firms, including architect of record Hawaii Off-Grid based in Haiku, Mo‘olelo Group and R.T. Tanaka Engineers in Wailuku, and MK Think in Honolulu and San Francisco.

Community Input

SFA values local, Maui perspectives on issues such as traffic, safety, and community use. Maui-based Mo‘olelo Group, led by Kainoa Horcajo, is leading community engagement during the early planning stages.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

SFA is an independent state agency established in 2020-21 and authorized in 2022-23 to oversee the construction of preschools, new Central Maui schools, and workforce housing. Created through legislative action, SFA uses innovative, standards-based designs, modern construction methods like prefabricated components, and cost-effective budgets to build high-quality, maintainable educational and living environments. SFA collaborates with the Hawai‘i Department of Education and other partners to ensure facilities meet community and educational needs. For more information, visit https://www.hisfa.org

SFA is developing a new public school in Central Maui. We have completed the early planning stage and entered schematic design

The planning stage confirmed core parameters such as the Phase I middle school target capacity, schedule, budget and space program area. The project was determined to support approximately 75,000 net square feet featuring an academic and administration complex centered on grade-level team modules and shared learning commons, as well as a multipurpose dining commons for all-day activities. A covered outdoor court will support protected physical education activities and outdoor recess and serve as a flexible gathering area during school events and assemblies.

High-level goals for the project include purpose-built, future-ready learning environments, efficient and maintainable construction, and locally-grounded design that leverages what is truly unique to Hawaii and Maui.

During the schematic design phase the project team is focused on exploring the configuration and design of the campus, buildings and spaces within.

In Hawai‘i, residential developers are required by law to pay a School Impact Fee to help with the costs of developing schools in the area to accommodate the anticipated increase in students. Developers have the option to either pay a monetary fee or donate land.

In 2017, the Waikapū Country Town Development set aside just over 12 acres for an elementary school. In 2024, it committed an additional 14 acres for a middle school, bringing the total to 26 acres. The land will be developed into a new public school campus, intended to serve the growing central Maui community.

Where possible, there will be select sharing of resources and space as a combined site to support a more efficient model and use of resources. However, the schools will operate as separate elementary and middle schools and will be constructed in phases. The first phase will be a middle school for 600 students. An elementary school may be added in a future phase based on enrollment demand.

The target is fall 2031 for the first phase of the middle school. Current funding supports planning, design, and site work. Additional funding will be required for construction.

Standardized design and modular construction can lower costs, reduce timelines, and simplify long-term maintenance. Prefabricated components are being considered as they have the potential to improve construction timelines.

The Hawai‘i Department of Education (DOE) will be responsible for operating and maintaining the completed school. DOE administrators and educators are advising SFA on school operations, space use and curricular support to ensure that what is designed supports the state’s educational goals while considering the existing Central Maui school landscape and framework. DOE also advises on considerations for long-term maintainability as it informs implementation phasing and DOE/DAGS Maui’s school maintenance operations. For more information, visit https://hawaiipublicschools.org/

Yes. On September 18th and 22nd, 2025, we hosted the first Informational Open House for the New Central Maui School Project at Pilina Center. We are thankful to everyone who joined us and shared their manaʻo. If you didn’t make it, mahalo for spreading the word, and we’d love to stay in touch as the project progresses and more opportunities to engage come up.

We heard thoughtful feedback on a wide range of topics, including traffic and infrastructure, cultural stewardship, and community needs. We appreciated the honest discussion around challenges, too; whether reconciling space priorities with budget, coordinating across organizations, or ensuring future flexibility as enrollment shifts.

We take this feedback seriously, and while not everything raised will be within our scope to act on, it has been documented and is being shared with the project stakeholders. Click this link for a summary of what the community came to share.

Yes, there will be. To stay informed of future opportunities, please sign up for our newsletter.

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