Lawmakers, landowners and officials from Kahuku High & Intermediate School met yesterday and seem willing to work out a solution that would allow the school to keep an acre of farmland they feared would be lost.

A Kahuku school task force and the owners of land used by students there will meet today to decide exactly what is needed to keep the farm program running.

Once a decision is made, state legislators will introduce a resolution aimed at reaching a solution, said Kirk Fausett, one of the landowners. The solution may involve outright purchase of the property, but first the school must decide how much it needs, said Fausett.

"We want to try to keep the program intact," Fausett said after yesterday's meeting at the state Capitol with legislators and school officials. Also at the meeting was his partner, longtime Kahuku resident Patsy Colburn.

Sen. Clayton Hee, D-23rd (Kane'ohe, Kahuku), said the landowners seemed willing to work out a solution that would protect programs at the campus. Once they have met, a concurrent resolution will be introduced urging all stakeholders to find a compromise and urging the city to withhold any permits necessary for building on the land until a solution is reached, Hee said.

"We're looking to find some resolution to this," he said.

After 75 years in operation, the Kahuku High & Intermediate School's agriculture and aquaculture program stood to lose about half of its farm, which it only recently discovered didn't belong to the school. About one acre of land is at risk and it is used for growing corn, aquaculture, a hydroponic greenhouse, a Native Hawaiian nursery and plots of kalo, sweet potato and sugar cane.

Colburn and Fausett purchased the land, which is part of a 58-acre parcel, from the Estate of James Campbell. Part of their plan for the land is to develop 106 affordable-housing sites.

Fausett said he's sure something can be worked out but does worry that any agreement would reduce the number of affordable units available to the community.

"The only hesitation I have is if the community as a whole wouldn't want the lots to be reduced in number," he said. Some six to nine lots are in question, Fausett said.

Reach Eloise Aguiar at eaguiar@honoluluadvertiser.com.