KIHEI, Hawaii — The new high school in Kihei doesn’t have an operational campus yet, but as of Thursday it does have a name: Kulanihakoi.

What You Need To Know

  • The school is named after Kulanihakoi Stream and gulch, which once fed farms and fishponds in the Kaonoulu ahupuaa
  • The Department of Education recommended the name in consultation with a group of experts, community leaders, students and others
  • BOE policy requires that campus names must be a unique identifier to promote and represent a school’s location or identity

  • The school's ninth-grade class will move to the newly constructed campus during the winter break after spending the fall at a temporary site at Lokelani Intermediate School

The name is taken from Kulanihakoi Stream and gulch, which runs along the school’s northern boundary. As explained by the state Board of Education, the stream once sustained the Kaonoulu ahupuaa, feeding farms and fishponds. The state Department of Education conducted extensive research and worked with a group of Native Hawaiian cultural experts, historians, educators, archeologists, researchers and community members with generational ties to the area and students before submitting the recommendation to the board. Feedback from a virtual community meeting was also considered.

“The official naming of our campus is a long-awaited decision that will give our school community a unified identity and our students a proud shared history throughout their lives,” said Kulanihakoi High School principal Halle Maxwell. “We want to thank our dedicated naming hui volunteers and our community members for bringing their unique perspectives and collective expertise together to honor Hawaiian culture and the rich history of this land.”

BOE policy requires that campus names must be a unique identifier to promote and represent a school’s location or identity.

Kulanihakoi High School opened to ninth graders this month at a temporary site at Lokelani Intermediate School, pending completion of its permanent campus at the end of the year. The current second phase of construction focuses on the upper campus and includes administration, classroom, library and cafeteria buildings, along with physical education locker rooms, a play court, temporary playfield and open spaces. Future construction will be pursued as additional funding becomes available.

The school plans to relocate to the new campus over the winter break. A higher grade level will be added each school year until the current freshman class reaches grade 12. At full capacity, the campus will accommodate 1,600 students.

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii.