Ha‘aheo Elementary School completed an Environmental Analysis for a three-phase renovation and construction project on Oct. 23, with the report finding there are no archaeological features, rare or endangered flora, or other historic elements that will be impacted by the construction.
In addition to replacing the more than 50-year-old facilities described in the analysis as “small and in substandard condition,” the improvements will provide three new structures for a cafeteria, library, computer lab and classrooms.
“This is the first large-scale renovation for the school,” said Ha‘aheo Elementary Principal Jennifer Sueoka. “Ha‘aheo Elementary was founded in 1888, prior to Hawaii becoming a State, with some small improvements and additional portables over the years.”
The project will nearly double the size of the campus and is estimated to cost roughly $17 million, with funding provided by the State of Hawaii.
“We are all grateful for Rep. Mark Nakashima who made this possible by allotting the funding for this project,” she said. “Our campus will double in size and the multipurpose building will have a new computer lab, flexible spaces for a variety of uses, a full size serving kitchen, dining area, more restrooms, and a custodian room and storage.”
Construction is expected to begin in the summer of 2023 and will be completed in three phases.
The largest of the three new buildings will be the cafeteria, which will replace the existing structure originally built in 1964.
The new, one-story, 6,240-square-foot building will provide a serving kitchen, space for back of house functions, a dining area that can accommodate 250 persons, and restrooms. The area can also be rearranged for other uses such as school assemblies, passive recreation and parent meetings.
“I am most enthusiastic about our multipurpose building which will give us a larger cafeteria and enough room to have a covered area for our students on rainy days during recesses,” said Sueoka. “We will have new multipurpose spaces, some new classrooms, more restrooms, new play areas, a larger eating area, and a large covered space for the entire school to gather.”
The library and computer lab building will be a single-story, 2,740 square foot building, and the new classroom building will be constructed on the site of the current portables. It will be a single-story, 4,200-square-foot structure that will provide three separate classrooms for special education, kindergarten and pre-kindergarten.
“The new classroom building will house our lower grades and our special education classes,” she said. “The main building will also be renovated to increase classroom sizes for the upper grades. We will have more space for learning and more flexibility in classrooms to better serve our students in the Wainaku community.”
Ha‘aheo’s current enrollment is 166 students, and Sueoka is most enthusiastic about the impact the new buildings will have on their education.
“I am actually excited for the staff and students to have larger classrooms and upgraded facilities,” she said. “The students will enjoy having more classroom space, a larger campus, and new facilities.”
Email Grant Phillips at gphillips@hawaiitribune-herald.com