HONOLULU — The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) and the City and County of Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) have signed a 양해각서 confirming their shared intent that Kīlauea District Park’s facilities, including the Tom T. Nekota Kīlauea Gym Complex, remain under City ownership, management and operation following the subdivision of the property.
The agreement follows community questions raised earlier this year regarding Senate Bill 2613, which transfers ownership of certain public school lands to HIDOE. While the bill, which was signed into law last month as Act 139, included the larger parcel containing both Kaimukī Middle School and adjacent park facilities, the HIDOE clarified that it did not intend to assume ownership or management of facilities beyond the Kaimukī Middle School footprint.
“This agreement provides certainty for the community and ensures that both Kaimukī Middle School and Kīlauea District Park can continue serving their important roles,” Superintendent Keith Hayashi said.
Under the MOU, the HIDOE and the city will work together to legally subdivide the property so that Kaimukī Middle School and the adjacent park facilities remain under separate ownership and management. The agreement outlines the responsibilities of each agency during that process and reaffirms the longstanding partnership between HIDOE and the City.
DPR will continue to control access to and manage the park facilities, including permitting, scheduling, operations and maintenance of the Tom T. Nekota Kīlauea Gym Complex, parking areas and surrounding grounds. This means existing recreational uses and community programming may continue under the Cityʻs management. The HIDOE will not exercise control or maintenance authority over the park facilities.
“We are grateful to our HIDOE counterparts for working with us to quickly resolve this issue,” DPR Director Laura H. Thielen said. “Providing our diverse communities with a variety of affordable recreational and educational opportunities is part of our shared kuleana. This agreement ensures the existing programs the Kāhala and Kaimukī communities have enjoyed for generations will remain available and easily accessible. We are committed to pursuing improvements to these facilities, so they can continue their public service. This includes appropriating $400,000 in our current budget to begin the process for gymnasium roof improvements.”
In a letter to Mayor Rick Blangiardi in May, Superintendent Hayashi emphasized that it was not the Department’s intent to acquire ownership of the entire parcel and reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to working collaboratively with the city to ensure the intent and implementation of the legislation were clearly understood and aligned. Hayashi also noted that state law allows it to acquire all or only a portion of the identified parcel, enabling the school and park facilities to remain under separate ownership.
The HIDOE values its longstanding partnership with DPR and remains focused on its core mission of supporting student learning while continuing to work collaboratively with partner agencies on matters that affect both schools and the communities they serve.
