Lahaina's burned-down elementary school is finally close to being rebuilt, good news for families still waiting three years after the fire, though a hard deadline looms.

• Construction on the new King Kamehameha III Elementary School is set to start early next year, with new designs showing a shaded central courtyard protected from the wind.
• The school can't go back to its old Front Street site because ancestral remains were found there and the land sits in a tsunami zone.
• The new campus will be built inland near the Lahaina bypass, above the tsunami zone, with students using a temporary school opened in 2024 until then.
• $146 million has been set aside for the rebuild, plus another $60 million for more evacuation roads.
• The school has to open by 2029 or the state loses federal money, which may mean phasing in extras like admin buildings to protect classroom space.

Outlook: Crews are expected to break ground early next year, with community meetings continuing to shape the design.