NĀʻĀLEHU — Approximately 400 Nāʻālehu Elementary School students returned to their campus today following a nearly two-month closure for repairs after Hurricane Lala.
Students gathered around the school flagpole for an opening oli aloha. School hālau members performed an oli pale (protective chant) and hula, and presented a lei to the school. The ceremony concluded with an oli mahalo and closing pule (prayer). Students then ran through welcome-back banners held across a campus corridor to celebrate their return.
“It’s a brand-new year all over again, so it’s really nice to have the kids back, to have them running through the halls, making noise, playing on the playground,” Nāʻālehu Elementary Principal Jason Britt said. “It’s just bringing life back to the school, which in turn brings back a sense of normalcy and life back to the community of Nāʻālehu.”
Newly repaired classroom ceilings, fresh flooring and, most importantly, cleared and restored playgrounds greeted students back to a vibrant campus.
“I was super excited to come back to school and learn and stuff like that. I got to see all my friends and hang out with them, and see all my teachers. It’s really special,” sixth grader Luka Mook said.
In August, Hurricane Lala left mud and debris throughout the Nāʻālehu Elementary campus, including inside buildings and classrooms. More than 600 tons of debris were removed from campus, and approximately 40 rooms were refurbished.
Campus repairs included new flooring, repaired classroom ceilings, installation of ceiling fans, painting, mold remediation and restoration of the playground. Furniture and equipment damaged by water and mud were also replaced.
HIDOE facilities personnel, the state Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) and private construction crews worked together to restore the campus and prepare for students’ safe return.
“I’m loving just seeing the smiles on the kids coming back to their school,” Ramzi Mansour, program manager of the DAGS West Hawaiʻi Office, said. “It was a team effort. Everybody worked so hard just to make this day happen.”
While cleanup and repairs were underway, students were temporarily relocated to the nearby Ka‘ū District Gym for in-person learning on a staggered schedule by grade level.
Principal Britt concluded, “It’s so nice to be back. When you step into a classroom, you can sense it. That makes it wonderful and it feels like a school again. It feels like home.”
Statewide, HIDOE identified storm-related repair and maintenance needs at 38 schools following Hurricane Lala, generating 153 work orders and approximately $12.5 million in preliminary cost estimates.
