For years, the Hawaiian language immersion community in West Maui has discussed combining students of all ages — preschool through high school — onto one campus. That conversation is being revived in the wake of the devastating Lāhainā wildfires.
Liko Rogers, a Hawaiian language immersion teacher at Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary School in Lāhainā, said his family lost three multi-generational homes to the Maui wildfires.
"Kēia wā, ua luʻuluʻu o Lāhainā i ka ua nui. Ka manaʻo o ka hala ʻana o ko mākou poʻe kūpuna, nā mākua, me nā keiki liʻiliʻi kekahi. He ʻeha maoli ko mākou naʻau," Rogers said.
Rogers told HPR that hearts are heavy in Lāhainā with thoughts of the lives that were lost. His family is one of more than 60 Hawaiian immersion, or kaiapuni, families in West Maui impacted by the fire.
Nearly two dozen of Lāhainā's youngest ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi students — preschoolers at Pūnana Leo O Lāhainā — have also been left without a school.
Kaʻiulani Laeha, executive director of the ʻAha Pūnana Leo, said the intention is to rebuild the school at some point, but right now the focus is on getting everyone on their feet.
"About half of our families and staff lost their homes and everything they have to the fire," Laeha said.
"We did mobilize support from all of our Pūnana Leo to get supplies and monetary donations directly to our Pūnana Leo o Lāhainā families. But the building is gone."
West Maui is home to 160 kaiapuni students from grades K through 12.
Kauʻi Sang, head of the Department of Education's Office of Hawaiian Education, said 19 kaiapuni students have signed up for distance learning, but kaiapuni options elsewhere on the island are limited to four schools.
"Ma Maui, aia ka papahana ma ke Kula Haʻahaʻa o Pāʻia ma ke Kula Waena O Kalama, a ma ke Kula Kiʻekiʻe o Kekaulike. Loaʻa pū ka papahana ma Hāna, ua hiki ke komo i loko o kēlā kula kekahi. A laila hiki ke komo i nā papahana i nā mokupuni ʻē aʻe a pau," Sang said.
Sang added that this includes Pāʻia and Hāna Elementary, Kalama Intermediate and King Kekaulike High Schools.
Displaced students may also enroll in kaiapuni programs on other islands.
Sang met this week with members of Lāhainā's kaiapuni community, who voiced concerns over the health and safety of returning to campuses impacted by the wildfire. Instead, Rogers and other teachers are offering to have kaiapuni students vacate current school campuses.
"Hoʻokaʻawale ʻia kēlā mau lumi papa i hiki ai i nā keiki ʻē aʻe, nā keiki o Kamehameha III ke komo mai ma kēlā mau wahi. A nā mākou e ʻimi i wahi a hana ma luna o ka ʻāina no kekahi wā me ke kōkua o ka DOE," says Rogers.
Rogers says this would allow displaced students from Kamehameha III Elementary to use the classrooms, and the kaiapuni community, with help from the DOE, can find a temporary home.
ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi was on the brink of extinction 40 years ago. Now, there are an estimated 26,000 speakers, and much of that success comes from kaiapuni schools. Rogers says time is of the essence for kaiapuni students who need that immersion experience to maintain their fluency.
"He hopohopo māoli nō kēlā, a ʻo ia kekahi o nā kumu a mākou e makemake nei e hoʻomaka koke ke hiki," Rogers said.
He has seen the growth of the Hawaiian language immersion program in Lāhainā with four graduating classes so far from Lahainaluna. But, he said, the work is not done.
"ʻO ko mākou moemoeā ʻo ia hoʻi e ʻimi mākou i kula hoʻokahi e noho ai mākou mai ka Pūnana Leo a hiki i ka papa 12. He hōnua kaʻawale, he hōnua ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi," Rogers said.
For Rogers, the dream is still to have all Hawaiian immersion students in West Maui, from preschool through grade 12, on one campus — its very own ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi campus.
