Update, Aug. 20, 5:30 p.m.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) continues recovery and planning efforts for Nāʻālehu Elementary School and Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary School following significant impacts from Hurricane Lala.

Nā‘ālehu Elementary and Ka‘ū High & Pāhala Elementary remain temporarily closed to students and staff.

Due to uncertainty with potential impacts from the pending storm, restoration of utilities, and safe access to the campuses, the Department will finalize and share plans for resuming educational programming early next week.

The Department, complex area and school leaders are developing plans to support continued learning while campus and community recovery efforts remain underway. Families and employees at both schools will receive additional information directly as plans are finalized.

On Wednesday HIDOE facilities and information technology personnel, state Department of Accounting and General Services personnel, and contractors visited both campuses to conduct additional assessments and identify needs related to restoring school operations.

Nāʻālehu Elementary

• The campus sustained minor structural damage, while multiple classrooms were damaged by flooding and storm debris remains throughout the campus.
• The campus remains without electricity and water.
• HIDOE continues assessing campus conditions and developing both immediate and longer-term plans for safely resuming learning.

Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary

• The school’s weight room and one elementary classroom sustained flood damage.
• The campus remains without electricity, and safe access along Highway 11 remains a concern.

Friday, Aug. 21, is Statehood Day, a state holiday. Public schools and offices will be closed statewide.

The Department recognizes that students, families and employees in these communities continue to experience significant impacts from the storm. We appreciate their patience as school teams and recovery partners work to determine the safest and most effective path forward for students.

Update, Aug. 18, 3 p.m.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) will resume normal operations at public schools statewide Wednesday, Aug. 19, following post-storm campus assessments, utility restoration and recovery efforts.

On Tuesday, most public schools reopened to students, while staff returned to other campuses to continue assessments and preparations for reopening. 

All remaining schools are cleared to reopen to students and staff Wednesday, including a small number of campuses on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island without power that are able to safely operate.

Two Hawaiʻi Island schools remain under previously announced extended closures:

• Nāʻālehu Elementary School and Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary School — closed through Thursday, Aug. 20, as assessments continue.

“Seeing firsthand the impacts on our schools and communities underscored the challenges many families are facing, particularly in areas affected by road conditions and extended power and communication outages,” said Superintendent Keith Hayashi, who on Monday visited schools in the Keaʻau, Pāhala and Nāʻālehu areas on Hawaiʻi Island.

“At the same time, I was encouraged by the tremendous work underway by county and state responders, our school teams and others helping communities recover on Hawai‘i Island. As schools reopen, we know recovery is not over for many of our students, families and employees, and we’ll continue supporting them through that process,” Hayashi said. “I also want to thank Gov. Josh Green and Mayor Kimo Alameda for their leadership and partnership throughout the response.”

As staff returned to campuses Tuesday and assessments continued, additional storm-related damage was identified and reported, bringing HIDOE’s statewide preliminary total to more than 600 work orders as of noon — 360 on Oʻahu, 81 on Hawai‘i Island and 175 across all other islands. Reports range from downed trees and damaged roofs to water intrusion, electrical issues and other facility impacts.

Throughout the storm response, HIDOE employees, facilities crews, contractors and utility partners have worked to assess damage, restore essential services and prepare campuses for reopening.

Update, Aug. 17, 7 p.m.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education will resume normal operations at most public schools statewide on Tuesday, Aug. 18, following post-storm campus assessments and recovery efforts. All state and complex area offices will reopen on Tuesday.

All public schools on Kauaʻi, Maui, Molokai and Lānaʻi will reopen to students and staff.

Some schools on Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi Island will remain closed to students Tuesday as crews continue addressing storm-related health and safety issues, utility service and other conditions affecting campus operations. At some of these campuses, staff will report to work to continue preparations for reopening.

Throughout Monday, school leaders, facilities personnel and designated staff assessed campuses, restored operations and prepared facilities for the safe return of students and employees. Power and other utility service has gradually been restored to affected campuses.

HAWAI‘I ISLAND 

Following announcements by Gov. Josh Green and Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda, all Hawaiʻi Island public schools will remain closed to students Tuesday. Employees will report unless their school is among those identified below as closed to both students and staff.

The following Hawai‘i Island schools will be closed to students and staff Tuesday while health and safety issues are addressed:

• Keonepoko Elementary
• Mountain View Elementary
• Pāhoa Elementary
• Pāhoa High & Intermediate
• Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Elementary

Previously announced extended closures for students and staff on Hawaiʻi Island also remain in effect:

• Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary School – closed through Thursday, Aug. 20.
• Nāʻālehu Elementary School – closed through Thursday, Aug. 20.

O‘AHU

The majority of Oʻahu public schools will reopen to students and staff Tuesday.

The following O‘ahu schools will remain closed to all staff and students Tuesday while health and safety issues are addressed:

• Daniel K. Inouye Elementary
• Kaʻaʻawa Elementary 
• Lāʻie Elementary 
• Pearl City High

However, if power is restored and conditions allow, these schools may reopen. Families and staff will be notified directly of any changes.

The following Oʻahu schools will be closed to students only and school staff will report:

Families at schools that remain closed to students will receive reopening updates directly from their schools and through official HIDOE communication channels.

As of 6 p.m. Monday, HIDOE had received approximately 100 storm-related work orders statewide — 80 on O‘ahu and 28 on neighbor islands.

The Department recognizes that some students, families and employees continue to experience storm impacts in their homes and communities. We appreciate their patience and understanding, as well as the work of school employees, facilities crews, utility workers, first responders and emergency management partners throughout the response and recovery.

Update, Aug. 16, 6 p.m.

Following assessments of school campuses and surrounding community conditions, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education will keep public schools and offices closed statewide on Monday, Aug. 17.

The additional closure will allow time to complete campus safety assessments, restore utilities where necessary and address storm-related impacts.

The Department will continue working with county and state partners and will provide updates regarding Tuesday’s operations as additional information becomes available.

Previously announced extended closures on Hawai‘i Island for Nā‘ālehu Elementary and Ka‘ū High & Pāhala Elementary School remain in effect.

Update, Aug. 16, 10 a.m.

Hawaiʻi State Department of Education school leaders, facilities personnel and state and county partners are continuing to evaluate storm-related impacts on schools and take necessary actions for reopening.

The HIDOE announced the following school closures on Hawaiʻi Island due to ongoing impacts from Hurricane Lala: 

• Nā‘ālehu Elementary School will remain closed to students and staff Monday, Aug. 17, through Thursday, Aug. 20, due to storm-related impacts to the campus and classrooms, as well as road closures affecting safe access to the school. Public schools statewide are already closed Friday, Aug. 21, in observance of Statehood Day.
• Ka‘ū High & Pāhala Elementary School will be closed Monday, Aug. 17, while the Department continues to assess campus conditions and roadway accessibility.

The Department recognizes that many Hawaiʻi Island families and employees continue to experience impacts from the storm in their homes and communities. The safety of students and staff remains the Department’s highest priority.

Families at both schools will receive updates directly from their schools regarding instructional plans and reopening timelines as additional information becomes available.

The Department continues to assess conditions at schools statewide. Additional updates regarding Monday’s school operations, if needed, will be announced later today through official HIDOE communication channels.

The HIDOE extends its gratitude to first responders, emergency management personnel, utility crews and school employees who are working to support affected communities and safely restore operations.

Update, Aug. 14 , 10 a.m.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education continues to closely monitor Tropical Storm Lala and is working in coordination with state and county emergency management officials as the storm approaches the state.

Based on the latest weather conditions and forecasts, the HIDOE is expanding previously announced closures on Hawaiʻi Island to include: 

• Beginning 5:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday, all HIDOE campuses and offices on Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, Lānaʻi and Molokai will close. 
• Saturday and Sunday, all  Oʻahu and Kauaʻi campuses and offices will close.

The cancellations include school-sponsored extracurricular activities, athletics and community use of school facilities. Previously scheduled school-related events and activities during a campus’ closure period will be canceled or postponed.

All HIDOE public schools statewide are continuing with normal school-day operations today, Aug. 14. Hawai‘i Island and Maui County school principals may cancel after-school activities this afternoon based on local conditions.

HIDOE offices statewide will operate normal business hours today.

The Department will continue to monitor weather conditions and assess any impacts to school campuses. A decision regarding school operations for Monday will be made through official channels as information becomes available, and communicated to families and staff.

Previous coverage

The Department will continue to monitor weather conditions and assess any impacts to school campuses. A decision regarding school operations for Monday will be made  through official channels as information becomes available, and communicated to families and staff.

The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) is closely monitoring Tropical Storm Lala and working in coordination with state and county emergency management officials as the storm approaches the state.

Based on current weather conditions and forecasts, all HIDOE public schools on Hawaiʻi Island will maintain normal school-day operations on Friday, Aug. 14. In-person instruction will continue as scheduled. School principals may cancel select after school activities on Friday afternoon.

HIDOE offices on Hawaiʻi Island will maintain normal business hours.

From 5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14, all Hawaiʻi Island public school campuses and offices will close through Sunday, Aug. 16. All previously scheduled school-related events and activities during the closure period will be canceled or postponed.

Emergency management officials have advised that decisions regarding potential school closures on other islands be made as conditions and forecasts become clearer.

Hawaiʻi Island public schools and offices are expected to resume normal school-day operations on Monday, Aug. 17.

HIDOE will continue to closely monitor conditions and coordinate with state and county emergency management officials and will share updates through official channels as information becomes available.