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Pacific Southwest, Region 9
Serving: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands, Tribal Nations
Revitalizing Old Maui High
An aerial view of Old Maui High after the site had been revitalized using an EPA Congressional Special Purpose grant.
Until recently, the once picturesque Old Maui High School in Hamakuapoko was overgrown, vandalized, the victim of suspicious fires, and peppered with signs warning of danger. The school was built in 1913 to serve as the island’s first co-educational high school. At that time, the island’s population was 32,000 and consisted largely of immigrants who worked on the local plantations and ranches.
Over the years, the campus expanded to 17,000 square feet along with the enrollment. The Mediterranean-style administration building, designed by Charles W. Dickey, was the "crown jewel" of these additions. It supported a high standard of education and was the backdrop of many student and faculty memories. In 1972, however, it was closed as a result of plantation closures and a population shift towards central Maui, and its students were transferred to the new Maui High in Kahului.