Most Upcountry, South, Central Maui public schools welcome students Aug. 16
Updated: August 15, 2023
The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education is allowing salaried employees who reside on Maui island — which includes all Bargaining Unit 05 employees — to request administrative leave through Thursday, Aug. 17. Friday, Aug. 18, is a state holiday.
Employees may request a leave of absence from their job on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by their administrator. The full text of the memo is listed below.
August 14, 2023
SUBJECT: Administrative Leave for Maui Island Employees
The Hawaii State Department of Education recognizes that employees may still need to attend to their own personal fire-related emergencies. The Superintendent has authorized Assistant Superintendents (State offices), Complex Area Superintendents (District/Complex offices), and Principals of Maui schools to allow Administrative Leave from August 14, 2023, through August 17, 2023, for salaried employees that reside on Maui Island, including 89-day hire employees in established classified personnel positions. These provisions shall not apply to other hourly or per diem casual employees.
Employees may request a leave of absence from their job on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by your Administrator as mentioned above. Employees will need to complete the applicable Leave of Absence request forms using leave code “35” (Admin- DOE). Additionally, timekeepers will need to enter the leave in the Time and Attendance System (TnA) using “Administrative Leave-DOE (AdmDOE)”.
Note: Administrative Leave has been approved and will be inputted into the TnA system by the Office of Fiscal Services (OFS) for employees at King Kamehameha III Elementary, Lahainaluna High, Lahaina Intermediate, and Princess Nahienaena Elementary due to school closures from August 8, 2023, through August 17, 2023. In addition, Administrative Leave has been approved for employees at King Kekaulike High due to school closure from August 9, 2023 until a re-opening date is determined.
Should you have any questions, please contact Maile Horikawa for Certificated Personnel at (808) 441-8348 or by email at maile.horikawa@k12.hi.us, or contact Julia English for Classified Personnel at (808) 441-8349 or by email at julia.english@k12.hi.us.
School reopenings
Most public schools in Upcountry, South and Central Maui will begin phased reopenings during the week of Aug. 14–17, beginning with school staff reporting to campuses, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education announced Friday.
With the exception of King Kekaulike High School, all Upcountry, South and Central Maui school staff will return to campuses on Monday, Aug.14. Students will be welcomed to school on Wednesday, Aug. 16, though Maui High’s student start date will be announced next week. This staggered schedule will allow school teams time to assess damage and staffing capacity to ensure a safe reopening.
King Kekaulike High School facilities are still being assessed and will remain closed to both students and staff until the campus can be fully evaluated. Maui High will welcome staff back to campus on Monday, Aug. 14, though students’ start date is pending the status of the evacuation shelter.
Maui schools with staff returning Aug. 14 and students returning Aug. 16 are:
Upcountry Maui
- Kalama Intermediate
- Haʻiku Elementary
- Kula Elementary
- Makawao Elementary
- Pāʻia Elementary
- Pukalani Elementary
Central Maui
- Maui High (*Student return date pending status of shelter)
- Baldwin High
- Maui Waena Intermediate
- ʻĪao Intermediate
- Kahului Elementary
- Lihikai Elementary
- Pomaika‘i Elementary
- Pu‘u Kukui Elementary
- Waihe‘e Elementary
- Wailuku Elementary
South Maui
- Kūlanihāko‘i High
- Lokelani Intermediate
- Kīhei Elementary
- Kamali‘i Elementary
School remaining closed to staff and students, pending further evaluation:
- King Kekaulike High
West Maui
As previously announced, the HIDOE’s four public school campuses in Lāhainā will remain closed next week, Aug. 14–17. The department is working with emergency response officials to gain access to the area as soon as safely possible to assess the scope and degree of damage to each of the Lāhainā schools.
Students who were enrolled at a Lāhainā school under a geographic exception (GE) — including Lāhaināluna High boarding students — should enroll at the public school in the geographic area in which they reside.
School enrollment for displaced families
With the status of reopening West Maui schools unknown, starting Monday, Aug. 14, families impacted by the wildfires are encouraged to re-enroll their child(ren) at another public school near their residence, even if their residence is temporary. Neighborhood schools may be found at bit.ly/HIDOESchoolSiteLocator.
HIDOE schools statewide will be welcoming the immediate enrollment of students impacted by the wildfires. Displaced families experiencing unstable housing conditions will be eligible to enroll at a school under provisions of the McKinney-Vento Act, which relaxes standard enrollment procedures.
For families facing unique circumstances in an area that has adequate internet connection, the Department’s State Distance Learning Program is available to students. With this option, parents may select between asynchronous learning (flexible schedule for accessing lessons and assignments) or synchronous learning (real-time participation in virtual classes through video conferencing). Parents can register their child at bit.ly/MauiDistanceLearning. One form per child should be completed. The program will provide a device for any student who is accepted.
Students who were enrolled in a Hawaiian language immersion program at a Lāhainā school may enroll in another Kaiapuni program. For Kaiapuni students who need a virtual option, the State Kaiapuni Distance Learning Program is available. Parents can enroll in the distance learning program at the nearest Kaiapuni school.
How to get the latest information
Heavy wind and flames impacted cell towers, power lines, and cables, making connectivity difficult. If you are trying to locate loved ones who may be impacted by the fires, call the American Red Cross hotline at 1-800-733-2767.
We compiled a list of official emergency sources and where they are posting updates online:
Let us know what you need
HSTA is currently assessing members’ immediate status and needs so we can best organize support. Maui members, please check your personal email for a special Member Matters message and complete our fire impact survey. If you did not receive an email and survey link, please submit a contact form here.
If you are willing to share your story with HSTA and the news media about how the fires affected you, your family and/or school, please email your name, phone number and a brief description of your experience to info@hsta.org.