The number of displaced West Maui public school students who still have not enrolled in new schools or been contacted by state officials is 1,208, down from the 2,025 first reported late last month.

But officials say there is still no easy way to know conclusively how many of that remainder are pausing schooling, have left for private schools or the mainland, or are among the dead or missing in the aftermath of the wildfires.

Of the 3,001 students who had been enrolled in the Lahainaluna complex of four public schools before the Aug. 8 inferno, the latest tally as of Thursday shows 778 have reenrolled in other Hawaii public schools and 874 have applied for or enrolled in the State Distance Learning Program, says a new state Department of Education report. About 29 students have moved to public charter schools, approximately 100 have enrolled in Hawaii independent schools, and about a dozen have withdrawn, says the report, which is expected to be presented Thursday by state Schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi to the Student Achievement Committee of the state Board of Education.

The DOE is working through its rosters to reach every one of its West Maui families, but the task has been complicated and lengthened by multiple factors, DOE spokeswoman Nanea Kalani told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Monday.

Families are widely scattered in the fires’ aftermath, for instance, telecommunications often have been spotty, and DOE officials have needed training in grief counseling before making calls, she said.

“Our Maui-based community liaisons, who have been on the ground since the fires, have also been connecting with families in shelters, at family assistance centers, resource fairs and the like to check in with families and help support their overall and educational needs,” Kalani said. “The department is actively reaching out to contact families for the remainder of students who have not yet enrolled in an option, knowing that some may have moved out of state, relocated or paused their child’s education for the time being.”

Kalani said privacy laws prohibit the DOE from saying how many of its students are believed to have died in the disaster.

Of the 115 people in the standing official death toll, so far only one minor, 7-year-old Tony Takafua of Lahaina, is among the 54 whose identities have been confirmed and released by authorities. Another minor, Keyiro Fuentes, 14, of Lahaina, is among those believed to have died in the fires, based on family social media and media reports.

On the Maui County official list of missing people, only one name, Justin Oliver Recolizado, has an “M” designation, indicating he is known to be a minor.

Meanwhile, plans continue developing for alternate educational services as the DOE awaits completion of safety testing of air, soil and water, and establishment of stable electricity and internet at Lahainaluna High, Lahaina Intermediate and Princess Nahienaena Elementary schools. Hayashi has said the tentative goal is to bring students back to those campuses after the Oct. 9-13 fall break.

A temporary location also is now planned for students of King Kamehameha III Elementary School, the one public school damaged beyond repair in the fires. The report said a temporary structure may be set up at Princess Nahienaena or another West Maui site. Learning hubs are planned in West Maui, and the DOE is also “discussing” a request by Hawaiian immersion programs in Lahaina to be housed together at an alternate West Maui site, the report said.

Total fatalities in the fires remained at 115 on Monday, and no new identities were released. Fifty-four individuals had been identified, with their families notified. Five more had been identified, but their families have not been located or identified. As of Monday, the Lahaina fire was 100% contained, the Kula fire 95% contained, and the Olinda fire 90% contained, officials said.

New resource hub opens

Meanwhile, the Council on Native Hawaiian Advancement on Monday opened a resource hub in Kahului to provide a “cultural approach” to supporting people affected by the West Maui disaster, and the person managing the site is a Lahaina resident who lost both her home and job to the fires.

“I understand what they’re going through, because we’re going through it together,” site manager Kukui Keahi said in a news release. “What our community is going through is devastating. The opportunity to manage CNHA’s hub is rewarding and meaningful for myself and my community.”

Keahi was born and raised in Lahaina and her family has been there for nine generations, she said through a council spokesperson. Her home was on Lahainaluna Road. She said the flames spared the Lahaina business where she once worked as an operations manager, but “no one is able to continue working in the area.”

Kako‘o Maui Resource Hub, at Maui Mall at 70 E. Kaahumanu Ave., will offer a range of services, aid and supplies from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The goal is to provide “a cultural approach for streamlined access to aid and services,” the nonprofit organization said.

“We want to reduce the administrative burden as well as help with any hesitation they may have in working directly with government agencies,” Kuhio Lewis, CEO of the council, said in the release. “Our hope is for the resource hub to provide a one-stop-shop for our Maui ohana to get the aid and services they need in a streamlined and supportive fashion.”

The resource hub will provide assistance with various services, including Federal Emergency Management Agency applications, food and financial aid, health insurance, grief counseling and funeral support, insurance and loss mitigation, legal counseling, housing counseling and foreclosure prevention, document replacement assistance, kupuna care, and rent and utility assistance for those who do not qualify for FEMA support.

The hub includes representatives from FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration and American Red Cross, and local organizations that will rotate include Imua Family Services, Hawai‘i Community Lending, Hawaiian Community Assets, Native Hawaiian Legal Corp., Legal Aid Society of Hawai‘i and Papa Ola Lokahi.

Also available at the resource hub: Foodland vouchers, HEPA air purification systems and direct payment support.

More information is available at www.HawaiianCouncil.org, via email to kakoomaui@hawaiiancouncil.org, and 808-204-2722.

Small business assistance

The Small Business Administration has partnered with the Hawaii Small Business Development Center to open a business recovery center on Oahu in response to the West Maui fires.

Low-interest federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans are now available to small businesses and qualified private nonprofit organizations in Hawaii, Honolulu and Kauai counties affected by the wildfires that began Aug. 8 in Maui County, an SBA news release said.

“The center will provide a one-stop location for businesses to access a variety of specialized help,” SBA Director Jeffrey Lusk of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Disaster Field Operations Center‑West, said in the release. “SBA customer service representatives will be available to meet individually with each small business owner.”

The Business Recovery Center is at Hawaii Foreign-Trade Zone No. 9, 521 Ala Moana, Suite 201, Pier 2, in Honolulu. Services are available 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays. No appointment is necessary. All services are provided free of charge.

Applicants may apply online and get more information at sba.gov/hawaii-wildfires. The SBA Customer Service Center can be reached at (800) 659-2955 or disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.