Six Molokaʻi schools will also close because of stormy conditions
Posted: April 9, 2026
Following Gov. Josh Green’s directive issued Thursday, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education will close all HIDOE campuses and offices on O‘ahu and Molokaʻi on Friday, April 10.
The Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association plans to close its Honolulu headquarters offices on Friday, in alignment with the closure of Oʻahu school facilities.
The decision to close some school campuses was made out of an abundance of caution due to concerns related to flooding, road conditions, and potential power outages across multiple communities, the HIDOE said.
“This closure applies only to the current severe weather event and this date. The (education) department will continue to closely monitor conditions and coordinate with state and county emergency management partners to inform operational decisions and help ensure the safety of students and staff,” HIDOE said late Thursday.
All five HIDOE schools along with the only charter school on Molokaʻi will be closed Friday. They are:
- Molokaʻi High School
- Molokaʻi Middle School
- Kaunakakai Elementary School
- Kilohana Elementary School
- Maunaloa Elementary School
- Kualapu’u Public Conversion Charter School
On Kauaʻi, Hanalei Elementary School will also be closed due to flooding affecting campus access.
All other schools and HIDOE offices on Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i Island, Maui and Lanaʻi will maintain normal operations at this time, the state education department said.
A flash flood warning remained in effect on Kauaʻi early Thursday evening through at least 9:45 p.m. Shortly before 8 p.m Thursday, the National Weather Service issued a high wind warning through 6 a.m. Friday for portions of Oʻahu, including Central, Leeward, and Windward Oʻahu, along with the North Shore and the Waiʻanae Mountains. South winds are forecast to be 20 to 30 miles per hour on Oʻahu, with some gusts up to 60 mph, the weather service said.
A flood watch has been posted for all islands through Friday afternoon.
As of 6:30 p.m. Thursday evening, Kahuku Elementary School was scheduled to open as an emergency shelter. Nānākuli High and Intermediate was scheduled to open for sheltering operations at 8:30 p.m. Thursday evening.
School employees are encouraged to monitor the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency’s April severe weather event page and their county’s official communication channels for the latest weather updates and alerts.
Green Friday announced the closure of all state departments and the release of employees not considered disaster response and preparedness workers on O‘ahu on Friday, due to the April severe weather event that is impacting the islands with heavy rain and strong, gusty winds.
“The safety of our residents and families must come first,” said Green. “With the ground saturated from back-to-back storms that began last month, we are taking this situation extremely seriously. Closing schools and state offices will allow families to focus on staying safe, together. It will also support emergency operations and sheltering, should the need arise. We urge everyone to heed all warnings, evacuate if directed, and stay out of floodwaters as this storm continues.”
Twice last month, HIDOE closed all school facilities and offices across the state on March 13 and again on March 20 because of Kona low storms that brought strong winds, heavy rain, and power outages throughout Hawaiʻi.
HIDOE estimated this week that school facilities across the state sustained $171 million in damages during those previous storms. During a Board of Education meeting Thursday, State Schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi reported the department received more than 500 storm-related work orders and 42 insurance claims for school buildings around the state.
The HSTA is accepting donations to provide payments to teachers whose homes, personal vehicles and classrooms were seriously damaged during the storms. HSTA members can apply to the union for relief payments through April 20. The union is also publicizing crowdfunding efforts by its members who suffered severe storm damage.