Five Ke'anae residents launched a campaign this week to stop the state Department of Education from permanently closing the one-room schoolhouse in their remote East Maui community, The Maui news reported.

Technically, Ke'anae School remains open and is administratively attached to Hana High and Elementary School. But students have not attended classes at Ke'anae since late 2005, when only three students were enrolled. Since then, Ke'anae students have made the 16-mile, one-way trek to Hana.

Resident Janet Redo said the route from Ke'anae to Hana is a difficult bus ride of at least 45 minutes on a narrow, winding road. Heavy rainfall and other road hazards often require sudden stops and starts, she said.

Ohia-Lehua Crozier said children in Ke'anae wake up as early as 5:30 a.m. to catch a bus to Hana at 6:30. They don't return home until about 4 p.m.

"That's an 11-hour day. They're just spending too much time away, and they're very tired when they get home," Crozier said.