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HIDOE Release: HIDOE closing all Hawaii Island, Maui County schools and offices ahead of impacts from Hurricane Lane

Posted on Aug 21, 2018 in Latest Department News

View the release online here.

August 21, 2018
HIDOE closing all Hawaii Island, Maui County schools and offices ahead of impacts from Hurricane Lane

All public and charter schools and Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) offices on Hawaii Island and in Maui County will be closed Wednesday, Aug. 22, until further notice, in anticipation of dangerous storm conditions from Hurricane Lane.

Families of students in charter schools are asked to contact their schools directly to learn about closures, or visit the charter schools’ website.

With emergency officials upgrading the severity of the storm’s impact to Hawaii Island and Maui County to a Hurricane Warning, county civil defense agencies urged HIDOE to close campuses as a safety precaution.

Also effective Wednesday, all after-school activities and programs including interscholastic athletic events and After-School Plus (A+) Programs are canceled statewide for the remainder of the week. This will allow partner emergency agencies and organizations to stage evacuation shelters at designated schools. All school-related interisland travel this week is canceled as well.

Parents are encouraged to work with their child’s school to ensure they have the most up-to-date contact information for their household.

“We appreciate the support and guidance from our emergency management partners as we work together to ensure the safety of our students, staff and school communities,” said Deputy Superintendent Phyllis Unebasami. “As with any emergency-type situation, we are striving to balance the need for safety with our overall commitment to provide students and families with every sense of normalcy.”

Updates on school closures will be posted on HIDOE’s website and on social media — Twitter and Facebook, @HIDOE808.

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About the Hawaii State Department of Education
The Hawaii State Department of Education is the 10th largest U.S. school district and the only statewide educational system in the country. It is comprised of 256 schools and 36 charter schools, and serves about 180,000 students. King Kamehameha III established Hawaii’s public school system in 1840. To learn more, visit HawaiiPublicSchools.org.

Lindsay Chambers
Communications Director
Hawaii State Department of Education
Ph: (808) 291-3366
Email: [email protected]