What is "Re-do the IMU!"? An Imu is the underground oven that is used at nearly every luau to cook the pig. The Lahainaluna field is hot and unforgiving and was given the nickname "Imu" to reflect these conditions. Our slogan "Re-do the IMU!" means to Re-do our athletic facility; our field, track, lighting, seats, and all the other components that make for a complete sports and events stadium.
Why is the Lahainaluna High School Foundation building this facility and not the state's Department of Education? Unlike most states, there is only one, single entity in charge of ALL public schools in the state, and all funding comes out of one general fund. All capital improvement projects (CIP), like an athletic stadium, are submitted to the department's CIP matrix and the Department establishes the priority for all the projects submitted. Our school is competing with all 257 public schools in the state for a limited amount of funding. That fact might still make it hard to understand that until 2007, ours was the only high school in the state without its own locker room!
The Lahainaluna High School Foundation was established in 2000 as a 501 (c) 3 organization with the vision of improving the educational experience of the school through a framework that would allow donors the ability to give to the school through a tax-exempt organization outside the realm of the Hawai'i Department of Education.
In addition to the scholarships, endowments, sponsorships and grants that the Foundation supports every year, it was determined that improving the athletic facilities was a priority issue. What began as a simple project of bringing a track to this school grew into an ambitious $10 million project of bringing this school and the community of West Maui its first and only sports & events stadium. Due to a budget conscious committee, significant in-kind support, and contractors who were willing to 'sharpen' their pencils...it appears that the entire stadium project will be completed for less than $8 million! For those of you who have donated, or are considering a donation, rest assured that we are working hard at bringing to Lahainaluna, the most cost-efficient high school stadium in the state.
What began in 2005 as a simple project to bring a new track to a school that has never had one, morphed into a $19 Million (estimated cost) stadium project with new field, 8-lane track, scoreboard, seats for 3,000, press box, concessions, restrooms, and admissions building. Due to the small "footprint" of the existing facility, an 8-lane track would create the need for costly retaining walls, and re-aligning an existing road and small bridge. After much consideration, the project was modified to include a 4-lane track...which would provide the track team with what they needed, a modern, synthetic surface track that they could train on. In 2012 we learned that the building code had changed and we had to go back to the drawing board to increase the number of stalls in the restrooms. We had already "moved" the restroom facilities down to where the arrival building was located, due to the cost of sewer and water and fire hydrant additions that would have been needed.
