Sacred Hearts begins work on new temporary school site; launches $4M tuition assistance campaign : Maui Now

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in Kāʻanapali for a secondary temporary school site for Sacred Hearts. Students have been attending classes at the Sacred Hearts Mission Church in Kapalua since their Lahaina campus next to Maria Lanakila Church was destroyed in the Aug. 8 wildfires.

While the church itself survived the blaze virtually untouched, two-thirds of the pre-K to 12^th grade school campus was gutted and left in ashes. 

According to administrators, 84 students and 12 staff members lost their homes in the Lahaina wildfire. After the fire, the school’s 225 students, teachers and staff relocated to Sacred Hearts Mission Church in Kapalua as an emergency measure. The secondary temporary location in Kāʻanapali will be utilized for in-classroom education until the Lahaina site can be rebuilt. 

The new temporary site in Kāʻanapali will accommodate 11 air-conditioned classrooms in three existing buildings, outdoor eating areas, air conditioned restroom trailers, grass play areas, half-court basketball court and spaces for administration and faculty, counseling and maintenance, all within the school’s fence line.  The property is located at 2530 Kekaa Drive, and has a designated drop/off pickup area along with parking.   

The estimated project cost of the Kāʻanapali temporary school is $1.5 million, and the anticipated opening will begin in the 2024 fall semester. 

In support of the financial hardship incurred by the students and their families, the Hawaiʻi Catholic Community Foundation has launched the “Compassion Hearts $4 million Tuition Assistance Campaign” now through Thanksgiving 2024.  Donated funds will contribute directly to tuition for those in need commencing the 2024-2025 year to ensure uninterrupted education while families rebuild their lives over the next two years. 

“Our school has shaped the lives of generations of students, and we are committed to honor the unbroken spirit of our school community,” said Tonata Lolesio, Principal. “The Compassionate Hearts campaign captures the resilience, faith, and commitment to rebuilding a stronger, more vibrant Sacred Hearts School. Now, more than ever, we must ensure our legacy continues,” Lolesio said.  Many students are still struggling to process the tragedy of the fire, and funding will allow them to stay in a familiar school setting with a nurturing environment for them to thrive. 

Early donors can see their contributions double with a dollar-for-dollar matching donation, up to $1.5 million by Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024. 

Donations can be made online at hawaiicatholiccommunityfoundation.org. Gifts can be one time only, or a recurring major credit card donation. The campaign will also be accepting gifts of stock and appreciated securities; IRA charitable rollovers; corporate and foundation gifts; direct bank account wire transfers; and check payments to the Hawaiʻi Catholic Community Foundation at 1184 Bishop St., Honolulu 96813. 

The Hawaiʻi Catholic Community Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. All gifts are tax-deductible to the extent of the law. (EIN: 36-4641613)   

For more information contact Terra Jones, HCCF Account Administrator at: [email protected].