Structures at three closed Lahaina-area schools visited today by state officials were found to be in “good condition,” and safety testing of air and water will help determine reopening dates, the state Department of Education has announced.
Lahainaluna High, Lahaina Intermediate and Princess Nahienaena Elementary schools “sustained wind damage, (but) the overall structure of campus buildings and classrooms are in good condition,” a department news release said.
Work crews at the campuses are clearing debris, and testing air quality and water quality, and “reopening dates will be determined once campuses are confirmed as safe for students and staff,” the DOE said.
Photos from the department showed broken trees and minor damage at the schools in the wake of the West Maui wildfires, which had been whipped by strong winds from Hurricane Dora.
All Maui schools except for Hana High and Elementary were closed starting from Aug. 9. Teachers and school staff at schools in Upcountry, South and Central Maui, except for King Kekaulike High School, were scheduled to return to work Monday, with students returning Wednesday.
But four schools — King Kekaulike High, Princess Nahienaena Elementary, Lahaina Intermediate and Lahainaluna High schools — remain closed. And King Kamehameha III Elementary was “damaged beyond repair,” state Schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi has said.
“We are planning with our partners at the Department of Health, FEMA, Governor’s office and the County to bring our students and staff back to school,” Hayashi said in the release. “We know the recovery effort is still in the early stages and we continue to grieve the many lives lost. We are doing everything we can to support all of our impacted staff, students and families.”
Joining Hayashi on Maui were Michelle Kidani, state Senate vice president and Education Committee chair; state House Education Chair Justin Woodson; state House Finance Chair Kyle Yamashita; and Kahele Dukelow, a state Board of Education member representing Maui.
For the approximately 638 students who attended Kamehameha III Elementary, options the DOE is weighing include moving them to Princess Nahienaena Elementary, or to a temporary satellite site in West Maui.
“In the meantime, students who are able to are encouraged to enroll at other public schools that are near their current location so that they have access to in-person services like meals, socialization and counseling,” the DOE said.
About 200 West Maui students so far have begun enrolling at campuses in Central, South and Upcountry Maui as well as on other islands, and nearly 100 applications for the state Distance Learning Program also have been received this week, the DOE said.
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