Mauna Loa's eruption over the weekend was a stark reminder of the unpredictable nature of natural disasters and how important it is to ensure we have up-to-date contingency plans in place for emergencies like this.

For the Department, all HIDOE schools are required to have emergency action plans that are updated annually and reviewed by the Department's Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness Branch. These are site-specific plans that cover incidents at the school level, including the handling of school closures, accountability of students and faculty during emergencies, and associated emergency drills. These school plans correlate with continuity of operations plans at the complex area level, as well as the Department's overall emergency operations plan at the state level.

I want to commend our Hawai‘i Island complex area superintendents for their leadership as this emergency continues to unfold. Ka‘ū-Kea‘au-Pāhoa CAS Stacey Bello, Hilo-Waiākea CAS Esther Kanehailua, and Honoka‘a-Kealakehe-Kohala-Konawaena CAS Janette Snelling have been working diligently with their principals to ensure the health and safety of students and staff.

All of our Hawai‘i Island schools are updating contingency plans as needed in the event that schools need to transition to a different mode of instruction due to direct or indirect impacts from the lava flow. While we are cautiously optimistic, we are still vulnerable and will continue to closely monitor conditions and heed the direction of Hawai‘i County and emergency management officials.

Any impacts or changes to Hawai‘i public school operations will be updated on the Department's website here. We urge all Hawai‘i Island residents to keep themselves informed and to take necessary steps to prepare now in the event action is needed.