Farrington High School To Modernize Campus

Katherine Poythress/Civil Beat

Farrington High School plans to break ground Thursday on a campus redesign that will provide much-needed upgrades while still maximizing existing buildings to save money and time.

The Legislature has committed $5 million in state funds to the project. This first phase is expected to cost $3 million. All four phases could take between 10 and 20 years to finish, and the current cost estimate is $100 million.

Civil Beat reported earlier this year about leaky ceilings, moldy walls and crumbling pedestrian ramps, which will be fixed with the campus overhaul. But the benefits to students promise to be far more than aesthetic. The redesign is expected to improve student life in four key ways:

• Creating Smaller Learning Communities, or academies, similar to colleges or departments within a university.
• Creating a pedestrian-friendly campus with restricted car access and plenty of outdoor furniture and other equipment to encourage outdoor gatherings.
• Preserving Farrington's legacy as one of the oldest campuses in Hawaii through signs and student exhibits.
• Promoting environmental sustainability through solar energy generation, rainwater harvesting, organic gardening and student-led recycling programs.

Here is an aerial sketch of what the completed project is expected to look like:

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