Over $140 million worth of repairs and renovations are happening across the state Department of Education’s campuses ahead of the new school year.
The maintenance projects include flooring, roofing, air conditioning and pavement repairs, as well as electrical, plumbing and painting improvements. HIDOE officials said summer break has provided a window of opportunity to make repairs that would be difficult to complete during the school year.
Jesse Souki, the department’s deputy superintendent of operations, said that the work is focused on extending the lifespan of school facilities, while also creating environments where students can focus on their academics.
“Our buildings are about 62 years old on average so there’s a lot of repairs to be done, and the summer provides a great opportunity to get work done that would impact students and allows us to get into spaces where they might be teaching during the regular school year,” Souki said in a statement. “So summer provides a great opportunity and hopefully when students come back they'll create accessible facilities that can help them excel."
The state DOE is responsible for Oʻahu school facilities while the Department of Accounting and General Services oversees maintenance and repairs across the campuses on the other main islands.
Back in March, after the two Kona Low storms hit the islands, the DOE reported over 300 maintenance requests across the state.
Oʻahu’s Hokulani Elementary School in lower St. Louis Heights closed at the end of the school year from storm damage, but is expected to reopen for students by the start of the upcoming school year on Aug. 3. Hundreds of volunteers worked to move tables and supplies into the newly repaired classrooms earlier this month.
