On Thursday, the Hawaii State Department of Education released a report (read below) indicating that 2,025 students are missing from the Lahaina public school system. This happened following a destructive fire on August 8 that devastated Lahaina town on Maui Island.

Before the fire, the Lahaina school district was composed of four schools: two elementary, one intermediate, and one high school. These schools had a combined enrollment of 3,001 students.

Unfortunately, due to fire damage, all the schools are currently closed. One elementary school sustained extensive damage and might not reopen for a while. The other three schools were also harmed by strong winds, debris, and soot. The report does not discuss whether many of the absent children perished in the fire.

According to the report dated August 21, here’s what happened to the 3,001 students who were enrolled on August 8:

  • 538 students have reenrolled in other public schools.
  • 438 students have joined the State Distance Learning Program (SDLP) for English and Hawaiian language learning.
  • The remaining 2,025 students are not accounted for. They have not re-enrolled in other public schools or chosen distance learning. It is possible they moved out of state or enrolled in private schools.
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