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Lahainaluna High School

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Coordinates: 20°53′19″N 156°39′33″W / 20.88861°N 156.65917°W / 20.88861; -156.65917
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Lahainaluna High School
Address
Map
980 Lahainaluna Road

Lahaina
,
Hawaii
96761

United States
Information
TypePublic, Co-educational
Motto"O Ke'ia Ka Kukui Pio Ole I Ka Makani O Kauaula"
Established1831; 193 years ago (1831)
School districtHawaii Department of Education
PrincipalRichard Carosso
Teaching staff63.00 (FTE)[1]
Grades9-12
Number of students870 (2023–2024)[1]
Student to teacher ratio13.81[1]
CampusSuburban
Color(s)Red and White    
AthleticsMaui Interscholastic League
MascotLunas
AccreditationWestern Association of Schools and Colleges
YearbookKa Lama
MilitaryUnited States Army JROTC
Websitelahainalunahs.org

Lahainaluna High School is a public high school with the grades 9-12 located in Lahaina (on the island of Maui). Operated by the Hawaii Department of Education, Lahainaluna High School is also a public boarding school. It was founded in 1831 as a Protestant missionary school, originally named Lahainaluna Seminary. The early missionaries who arrived in Lahaina in 1823 explained to the Hawaiian Royalty the importance of an educational institution in the American style.

A number of the pioneers, students and teachers are buried in a small graveyard behind several buildings on the campus. It was the first formal European-American style school founded in Hawaii and has continued to operate to this day.

History and traditions

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American William Richards founded the missionary station in Lahaina in 1823. In June 1831, Lorrin Andrews was chosen as first principal of a seminary for boys and young men. The site was named Lahainaluna for "upper Lahaina".[2] On September 5, 1831, classes began in thatched huts with 25 Hawaiian young men as students, including former royal historian David Malo.[3] The second principal was William Patterson Alexander 1843–1856.[4] The school eventually became part of the public school system in Hawaii. The post-secondary program later became developed as part of the first University of Hawaii.[citation needed]

Lahainaluna has a boarding program where students from the outer islands (including students from the "other side of the island") can live and study at either of the campus dormitories.[citation needed] In return, they do various jobs around the campus, such as maintaining the landscape, tending to the farm animals,[5] and making student meals at the cafeteria; they work 18 hours per week. Initially and exclusively for males, the boarding program became coed in 1980. The two dorms are David Malo Dormitory for the boys and Hoapili Dormitory for the girls. Previously, Hoapili housed both genders. Lahainaluna is one of very few public boarding schools in the nation.[citation needed]

There is an 30-ft "L" on the mountain-side overlooking Lahaina at the 2,000 ft elevation mark. The "L" stands for Lahainaluna and has been there since 1904.[6] Twice a year, the boarders at Lahainaluna lay a fresh coat of white lime on Pu'u Pa'u Pa'u. The boarding students must carry 50 lb sacks of lime to the site, clear the weeds, and clean up the site. Added to the "L" are embellishments of the year and athletic championships for the previous year. On a clear day, the freshly limed L can be seen from the island of Molokai. It is located at coordinates 20°53′15″N 156°38′29″W / 20.88750°N 156.64139°W / 20.88750; -156.64139 (Pu'u Pa'u Pa'u). Lime is used because it's natural and does not interfere with the ecosystem. After the students have completed restoring the "L", they lay fresh leis at David Malo's gravesite, chant, sing and pray.

Historically, on graduation day alumni hike up the "L" and light up torches that line the "L" to symbolize the graduates have received their diplomas.

The school celebrates David Malo Day annually. That day a feast is served and the Hawaiiana Club puts on a performance.[citation needed]

Members and coaches of the Lahainaluna High School football team partook in the pre-game coin toss ceremony during Super Bowl LVIII after the 2023 Hawaii wildfires left much of Lahaina destroyed.[7][8]

Hale Paʻi

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Hale Paʻi
Hale Paʻi
Lahainaluna High School is located in Lahaina, Hawaii
Lahainaluna High School
Lahainaluna High School is located in Maui
Lahainaluna High School
Lahainaluna High School is located in Hawaii
Lahainaluna High School
LocationLahainaluna High School, Lahainaluna, Hawaii
Coordinates20°53′24″N 156°39′36″W / 20.8899°N 156.6599°W / 20.8899; -156.6599
AreaLess than one acre
Built1834
NRHP reference No.76000662[9]
HRHP No.50-50-03-01596[10]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 13, 1976
Designated HRHPMay 13, 1976
Front page of 1834 student newspaper

Hale Pa'i, or the house of printing, is a small coral and timber building on the Lahainaluna campus that, starting in 1834, served as the home of Hawaii's first printing press. English and Hawaiian language Bibles, books and newspapers were printed here, including the first newspaper printed west of the Rocky Mountains. The first paper currency of Hawaii was printed here in 1843. A student was expelled in 1844 for counterfeiting, which resulted in the government re-issuing all the paper money with secret marks.[11]

A map of the islands on the one dollar bill, ho'okahi dala, printed in 1843 at the school press

Many archived publications are on public display at the site, now a museum maintained by the Lahaina Restoration Foundation.[12] Hale Pa'i, also known as Hawaii Site No. 50-03-1596, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.[9]

Campus

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Lahainaluna High School is located on the side of an extinct volcano. The multiple classroom buildings are widespread. The grounds are covered with many benches, pathways, grass, plants and trees, the latter providing shade. The ceramic sculpture Orbit by Toshiko Takaezu is located here. A small stream runs near the school, past the Agriculture area. Lahainaluna is high enough on this volcano to allow views of the Pacific and of the islands of Moloka'i, Lana'i and Kaho'olawe.

It has a boarding facility available.[13] The program takes American students and students with other citizenships. Girls go to the Hoapili Dormitory and boys go to the David Malo Dormitory.[14]

Notable alumni

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Lahainaluna High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  2. ^ "lookup of "luna"". on Hawaiian Dictionary web site. Archived from the original on December 28, 2012. Retrieved July 14, 2009.
  3. ^ Dibble, Sheldon (1843). History of the Sandwich Islands. Lahainaluna: Press of the Mission Seminary.
  4. ^ James McKinney Alexander (1888). Mission life in Hawaii: Memoir of Rev. William P. Alexander. Pacific Press Publishing Company. ISBN 1-116-99054-7.
  5. ^ "Boarding program in need of two new girls dormitory attendants". The Maui News. July 19, 2013. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  6. ^ "What is the L on the hill overlooking Lahaina?". Maui Vacations - Jon's Maui Info. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  7. ^ Bowman, Emma (February 11, 2024). "High school football players, survivors of Maui wildfires, are honored at Super Bowl". NPR. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  8. ^ "Opening coin toss of Super Bowl LVIII to acknowledge Lahainaluna football after Maui wildfires". MauiNow. February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  9. ^ a b Larry I. Miller (March 31, 1975). "Hale Pa'i nomination form". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
  10. ^ "Historic Register Counts". Hawai'i State Historic Preservation Division. State of Hawaii. February 1, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  11. ^ Peter Morse (1968). "The Lahainaluna Money Forgeries". Hawaiian Journal of History. 2. Hawaiian Historical Society, Honolulu. hdl:10524/263.
  12. ^ "Hale Pa'i" Story by Rita Goldman, Maui No Ka 'Oi Magazine Vol. 12, No. 3 (May 2008) Archived 2010-05-31 at the Wayback Machine.
  13. ^ "Lahainaluna High School Boarding Department". Lahainaluna High School. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  14. ^ "Lahainaluna Boarding Program" (PDF). Lahainaluna High School. Retrieved July 23, 2022. - Linked from here
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20°53′19″N 156°39′33″W / 20.88861°N 156.65917°W / 20.88861; -156.65917

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