Construction of a temporary elementary school in Lahaina is progressing after King Kamehameha III Elementary was damaged in the August wildfires.
Crews have completed clearing and grading of the site. Modular units for the first classroom arrived this week.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began design work on the project in September.
Native Hawaiian contracting company Pono Aina Management was awarded nearly $54 million in November for the construction.
The company was selected from a pool of five applicants, Col. Jesse Curry told HPR last month.
"We feel challenged, of course, this is a big task," he said in a previous interview. "But I would also say I feel very happy and hopeful that we're going to be able to deliver this quickly."
Following the blaze that destroyed the Front Street school, students have been sharing campus facilities with Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary since October.
Enrollment on the first day back for King Kamehameha III Elementary students was 380 — a roughly 40% decrease from 624 students before the fire.
The Corps is providing technical assistance, engineering assistance and construction management for the State and the Department of Education.
Handover to the DOE is anticipated by the end of February 2024. The department will finish the campus with furnishings and telecommunication installation.
DOE Superintendent Keith Hayashi said completion of the temporary school will be critical in giving students and staff a sense of normalcy, and a solid foundation for learning and recovery.
