Although substantial concerns have been raised about a proposed land swap that would produce a new high school for Kailua, it is far too early to shelve the idea.

A committee of the Board of Education has looked into the proposal and has concluded it should be left to the full board, or even the Legislature, to consider.

That jumps ahead of the process. A smarter idea would be to submit the proposal to public hearings conducted by the Board of Education. This would produce a more complete picture and a more accurate reflection of community sentiment. Hearings would also help with examination of the details on costs and benefits.

There is no question the existing Kailua High School is in dire need of upgrading.

The question is: Does the state spend the money to rebuild the school on its existing site near the Pohakupu subdivision? Or should it accept an offer by developer Christopher Dey for 97 acres of land across Kalaniana'ole Highway, at the base of Olomana, where a new high-tech school campus could be built? Dey also offers $70 million to help build the new campus.

In exchange, Dey would gain control of the existing campus and adjacent state lands and develop as many as 525 new homes in the area.

It's true that there are any number of questions about this proposal that need better answers. Can the state afford the new school, even with Dey's help? Would the neighborhoods around the current school welcome growth along with the upgrading of their subdivision?

Can the Department of Education obtain the necessary permits to build on what is now conservation land?

These are all good questions. Rather than abandoning the project, we should address these questions. And the place to begin doing that is at thorough public hearings.