HSTA requests collaboration to ensure student, educator protections following Maui fires

Hoping to unite toward a common goal of supporting school staff, students, and families on Maui, the Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association Friday sent a request to the state for impact bargaining as well as a request for information about wildfires and their impacts on schools, teachers, and students.

“The tragedy of the wildfire and its immediate impact on the Lāhainā community and greater Maui remains top of mind for HSTA, and we are committed to working with the State of Hawaiʻi, the Board of Education (BOE), HIDOE, and our charter schools to ensure that families are taken care of, and they have the time and space they need to deal with the trauma and shock of the disaster,” said the request from HSTA Deputy Director and Chief Negotiator Andrea Eshelman.

Besides the four Lāhainā public schools directly affected by the flames, with one mostly destroyed in the fires, Eshelman wrote:

“We also know that many classrooms across the island are covered in soot, we have heard of at least one employee who may have lost their home upcountry, other schools may not have electricity or water, and at least one school, Maui High, is being used as a shelter.

“Cognizant of the catastrophic situation many of our members are faced with, we appreciate the inclusive and collaborative actions of Assistant Superintendent Sean Bacon, who has reached out well beyond business hours to ensure that HSTA is consulted and included in discussions and decisions that will directly impact our members.

“Understanding that the coming days will be overshadowed by concerns for basic needs, including food, shelter, electricity, and locating missing loved ones, we look to the HIDOE to continue their collaboration to provide the support and compassion needed to overcome this tragedy.”

Because about 3,000 students and more than 300 staff are displaced from their schools, the HSTA anticipates the potential for reassignments, telework, and other related changes in the working conditions for Bargaining Unit 05 members.

The union also asked the state schools superintendent and the chair of the Board of Education for key information as soon as it’s available, such as:

• An update on the inspection and assessment of campuses determined to be safe for reopening.
• A list of classrooms and workspaces determined to be damaged, destroyed, and/or not safe for reopening.
• Plans for cleaning of rooms affected by wind damage and wildfire, including ash removal.
• The availability of disaster leave for employees affected.
• The availability of mental health resources for employees and students.

In addition, the HSTA requested that:

• All Maui schools, with the exception of Hana, remain closed through at least Thursday, Aug. 17, to provide further time for employees to locate loved ones, stabilize living situations, begin the recovery process, and support the recovery efforts, as many HSTA members are volunteering with relief efforts.
• The schools in the Lāhainā area convene their school community councils to facilitate opportunities for the community to discuss the next steps.

More than 100 active and retired Maui educators have either lost their homes entirely in the fires or their homes suffered damage to the extent that they have to temporarily relocate. The HSTA has issued relief checks to those educators and plans a second round of payments in late December 2023.