Kūlanihākoʻi High School in Kīhei will officially open next month. The $245 million state-of-the art campus will open in August with a temporary certificate of occupancy.
More than $107 million in funding for infrastructure was included in the Senate version of the state budget which passed last week. Some key items included are: appropriations for the Lahaina Bypass North, a grade-separated crossing for Kūlanihākoʻi High School, critical repairs for Māla Ramp, and a new wastewater facility for Waikapū.
The State and Maui County have entered into a Memorandum of Agreement in which the Department of Education will receive a temporary certificate of occupancy in exchange for the State temporarily agreeing to indemnify the County against theoretical future claims of liability.
“The fact that they would ask for funding to cover the plan and design for the grade-separated crossing instead of funding the entire project will set us back another five years,” said Sen. McKelvey. “This is unconscionable, considering this school has been in the works for the past ten years. It is a travesty that this money was taken from our children and used to fund a DOT project when they have their own budget,” he said.