More Than 2,000 Students Missing From Lahaina Schools in Wake of Deadly Wildfire

Hawaii state education officials reported more than 2,000 children missing from the Lahainaluna complex enrollment following the deadly West Maui wildfires in early August.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green speaks during a news conference about the destruction of historic Lahaina and the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui in Wailuku, Hawaii, on Aug. 10, 2023. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

The fate of more than 2,000 students from Lahaina’s public schools is unknown following the West Maui wildfires that killed at least 115 people and left hundreds unaccounted for, a report by the Hawaii State Department of Education (HDOE) indicates.

The department “continues to navigate the significant impacts of the West Maui (Lahaina) wildfires which affected West Maui communities and schools in the Lahainaluna complex,” HDOE Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in a letter to state Board of Education Chairman Warren Haruki.