As the state's public school system moves ahead with plans to close some of its smaller, underused campuses, it's also planning for the construction of 16 new schools over the next six years in areas with growing populations.

So far, only three new campuses have gained funding and support from state lawmakers, but the state Department of Education continues to plan for 13 other new schools, many concentrated in Kapolei and Leeward O'ahu.

The new campuses, education officials say, will help alleviate serious overcrowding in schools that are in growth areas of the state.

The DOE is planning for new schools while it is simultaneously knee-deep in an arduous process to close or consolidate schools in underpopulated areas. Citing the shift of the population from urban areas to rural and suburban neighborhoods, education officials say that their plans are an attempt to serve the areas of the state where the children are.

Three projects — a middle school in 'Ewa, an elementary school in Wailuku and a high school in Kihei — have been funded by the state Legislature and are on track for construction over the next two to three years.

"Right now, these are the three we need because of serious capacity problems at existing schools that can only be addressed by a new school," said Randy Moore, assistant superintendent of facilities and support services.

Moore said it makes sense to consolidate schools in areas of declining enrollment and expand where there is population growth.

"Enrollment has been declining in East Honolulu, Kaimuki, Kailua and enrollment is growing in 'Ewa, Kapolei and Central O'ahu. It's not feasible to take students from 'Ewa and say you're going to go to school in Kaiser," Moore said.

BUDGET CUTS

The construction of new schools comes at a time when the public school system is anticipating proposed budget cuts of up to $94 million each year for the next two years.

The DOE is also engaged in a long process to close and consolidate small schools in 20 areas on O'ahu, Maui, Kaua'i, the Big Island and Moloka'i.

So far, only the task force charged with studying the possibility of consolidating Wailupe Valley Elementary and 'Aina Haina Elementary has made a recommendation to the DOE.

Included in the public school system's most immediate building projects is the much-anticipated construction of 'Ewa Makai Middle School in the Campbell complex. That project is estimated at $89 million.

The DOE expects to break ground on that school next month, Moore said. However, construction has been delayed for at least a year.

'Ewa Makai Middle, set to open in July 2010, has been on the drawing board for at least a decade. Officials have been pushing for it, citing the growing population on the 'Ewa plain and major overcrowding at 'Ilima Intermediate and the seven elementary schools in the area.

The last public school built in the state was Keoneula Elementary School, which opened in 'Ewa in January 2007. That school was anticipated to help with the overcrowding of primary schools in the community.

'Ewa Makai, which in 2010 would be the first new public school in Hawai'i in four years, is seen as the solution to serious overcrowding of 'Ilima Intermediate School, the only junior high school serving that community.

The overcrowding at 'Ilima Intermediate is so severe that school administrators have asked Kapolei Middle School to accept some of its students in the short term.

"'Ilima is literally bursting at the seams," Moore said. "Our belief is that this is an urgent need."

KAPOLEI PROBLEMS

But Kapolei is dealing with its own problems.

In the 10 years that Annette Nishikawa has been principal of Kapolei Middle, she's seen the school grow beyond its 1,200-student capacity to the point where the school had to switch to a staggered, "multi-track" schedule to accommodate all of the students.

With nearly 1,500 students at Kapolei Middle today, Nishikawa said there's a desperate need for more schools in Kapolei.

"This is a bedroom community. ... It's a dense population. We're projected in a couple of years to be up to 1,800 and can we handle that?" Nishikawa said.

To accommodate the large student population, students and teachers are grouped together in separate "tracks." Two-thirds of Kapolei's students are on campus at any given time while the other third is on three-week inter-session.

The DOE is currently planning for an additional middle school in Kapolei in 2012 at a total estimated cost of $95 million. Officials have requested that money from the state Legislature, but so far it appears unlikely funds will be appropriated.

Nishikawa says she envisions a day when there's an additional middle school in Kapolei to lighten the burden.

"If this new school is built, it may be possible to go back to a single calendar like everyone else," she said.

FUNDS UNLIKELY

Education officials have requested an additional $30 million from the state Legislature to begin planning for several other critical schools, including a Scho-field-area elementary, East Kapolei High and Royal Kunia Elementary. But so far those funds seem unlikely.

"The timing is dependent on two things: one is demand as represented by population growth and the other is funding as made available by the state Legislature," Moore said.

"In the versions of the CIP budget that we've seen so far, there's no additional money for new schools," he said.