Konawaena High School on Hawaiʻi island and Hōkūlani Elementary on Oʻahu will be ready to reopen for the new school year following extensive flood damage repairs caused by the Kona Low storms in March of 2026.

Classrooms and facilities on both campuses were inundated with several feet of flood water, mud and debris which ruined carpets, flooring, electrical wiring, furniture and equipment. Ceilings and walls were also impacted by leaking water which created conditions for mold growth. Work crews have been working hard to ensure that both campuses are restored for the safe return of students on August 3rd.

“We have a safe healthy place that we get to welcome everybody back to, it’s going to make new memories,” Konawaena High Principal Ami Akeo said. “It was everybody that really stepped up to be able to make it possible for students to return and it’s a community thing, the aloha for our school has been outstanding.”

Following the storm damage, Konawaena High diverted the majority of its student body to distance learning. Hōkūlani Elementary split its student body and relocated Pre-K to second grade classes to Pālolo Elementary and grades 3-5 to Aliʻiolani Elementary for the remainder of the school year. Repair projects at Konawaena High were coordinated by the state Department of Accounting and General Services.

Hōkūlani Elementary held a Move-In Day on Saturday, July 25, with over 150 volunteers helping to move and unpack storage boxes, assemble furniture and return classrooms to their normal configurations.

“We probably had about over 150 people show up today (at Move-In Day) and I’m very excited to be back and to welcome back our students,” Hōkūlani Elementary Principal Ervin Pasalo said. “Being at one place with our students, with my teachers, I’m just really excited for them to come back and to welcome them home.”