Seabury or Maui Prep? (Kihei: private schools, colleges, earthquakes)

[Mauibound?]

Thank you for the replies that I received to my first post regarding our seach for schools. I have been spending alot of time online researching and wanted to ask for personal opinions/experiences with both Seabury and Maui Prep.

As mentioned previously, we would be living in Kihei. Neither of these schools is even remotely close by but, would one have an advantage over they other in this fact? I know that Seabury offers busing though, it looks as if it would take an hour to get to school and back. I'd likely just drive the kids. I suspect that Napili would be no better and, possibly, worse...?

Thanks for any advise you can offer!

Shelly

[whynot?]

These are both excellent schools, Seabury being the older and more-established, and Maui Prep expanding every year. We're in Ka'anapali (and have no kids), but are very interested/active in raising the bar on education -- here and anywhere else in the country. The fact that you're willing to dedicate so much time and energy to getting an excellent education for your kids is admirable.

I don't remember how old your children are, so that's definitely a consideration. (Seabury has had upper school a good bit longer, and has something of a reputation with mainland colleges; Maui Prep is working on this.) They are very different kinds of places, too, if that matters to you or your kids. The Seabury campus has the feel of a traditional, ordered, organic compound, while Maui Prep's campus follows a newer model of multi-use spaces and structures. Much depends upon what you want/expect from curriculum and which environment is better suited to your kids.

I do know that the people behind Maui Prep full realize that having high quality education available in West Maui is essential to attracting homeowners and other residents that might otherwise settle on the other side of the island. They are dedicated to investing in and developing the school to rival Seabury.

You are right, however, in assessing that travel to West Maui might be more onerous than to Olinda. For one thing, the Pali (just past Ma'alaea) is a major bottleneck if there is any kind of traffic issue (road repairs, car crashes, fires, earthquakes, etc.). The other is that there is actually a "rush hour" pattern on Honoapi'ilani Hwy (Rt 30) because housing costs in West Maui cause a large proportion of resort employees to commute from other parts of the island.

A number of West Maui residents carpool their kids to Seabury and other private schools "on the other side." I'm sure there are similar options in Kihei. I strongly suggest that you personally interview both Maui Prep and Seabury to determine which would be a better fit for your children. (There are decent public schools on Maui, too, presuming active participation by parents.)

Best of luck.