Department of Education

While the DOE has an evacuation plan for fires on campus, there isn't one for brushfires, such as those that occurred during the Aug. 8 inferno that ripped through West Maui's historic town. As HPR's Cassie Ordonio reports, top education officials say they're working on it.

Some Lāhainā students are slated to attend a temporary school after the Aug. 8 wildfires destroyed King Kamehameha III Elementary. State officials announced Tuesday that the campus will be at the Pulelehua project, a mixed-use development being built just off the Honoapiʻilani Highway between Kā‘anapali and Napili.

Ka‘elepulu and Maunawili Elementary schools in Kailua received prestigious recognition for their high academic achievement. The schools were among 350 winners nationwide.

It’s been a month since the Aug. 8 wildfires blazed through the Valley Isle’s historic town with a death toll 115. While all DOE staff in Lāhainā are accounted for, advocates and teachers are asking for the status of students. It’s unclear how many children have died.

Education officials are urging parents to enroll students from three Lāhainā schools — King Kamehameha III Elementary, Princess Nāhi‘ena‘ena Elementary and Lāhainā Intermediate — in a temporary school, including Wailuku Elementary, Kamali‘i Elementary or Lokelani Intermediate.

Emotions were high Thursday as some teachers and parents from four schools in Lāhainā voiced their frustrations with the Hawaiʻi Department of Education's response to the deadly Aug. 8 wildfires on Maui. It's unclear when students will return to their Lāhainā schools.

Researchers found that Hawai‘i is on par with other school districts across the country, seeing fewer children participating in their school food programs after a federal program that provided free meals to all students ended last summer. HPR's Cassie Ordonio has more.

The state Board of Education on Thursday unanimously approved a plan on how the department will carry out the vision of 258 public schools for the next six years. This second phase of the strategic plan is the department's implementation plan. HPR's Cassie Ordonio has more.

According to its latest count, the National Federation of the Blind says more than 24,000 Hawaiʻi residents are sightless. For the 67 blind students in Hawaiʻi's public schools, one continuing challenge is timely access to braille textbooks. Students can wait months for textbooks, but the Monarch aims to cut down that waiting period. HPR's Cassie Ordonio reports.

The traditional Hawaiian delicacy is part of the state Department of Education's farm-to-school initiative, which aims to promote food sustainability and improve student health. DOE officials said procurement challenges have limited other schools from participating in the poi program. HPR's Casey Harlow has more.