Kapolei To Add New Elementary School
Representatives from the state Department of Education, Kiewit Building Group Inc. and D.R. Horton Hawaii gathered April 2 for the groundbreaking of a new elementary school in Kapolei, which is being built between Kunehi Street and Fort Barrette Road.
Construction funds of $40 million were appropriated during the last Legislative session to the project and were released to the DOE in June 2013.
“Kapolei is seeing tremendous population growth, and today’s groundbreaking symbolizes an investment in our keiki and our economy,” stated Gov. Neil Abercrombie.
The school, tentatively called Kapolei II, will serve 750 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Consisting of seven buildings, the campus will include a library, cafeteria and an arts and science center. Gardens, play fields, air-conditioned classrooms and a campus-wide wireless network also will be featured at the school. Kapolei II will occupy 78,404 square feet of land, which is being provided by development company D.R. Horton.
The campus also is being designed to meet the Silver Certification level of U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Schools 2009 standards, which entail a number of environmentally friendly building concepts and practices. It also will feature native landscaping.
“Kapolei II Elementary represents increased access to a 21st-century learning environment that will be valued by the Kapolei community,” stated Sharon Thom, senior vice president, Kiewit Building Group Inc. “We’re honored to be a part of the team bringing the Department of Education’s plans to reality for the keiki of West Oahu.”
“Building a new school is much more than creating classroom learning opportunities for children. This is about building a school community where we all have a shared responsibility,” stated DOE schools superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. “We look forward to continued collaboration with our partners who are committed to serving the needs of our students in Kapolei.”
The official name of the school will be selected with the community’s help when construction is complete. The school is slated to be finished in April 2015.
