MEDIA RELEASE

The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) advises parents and guardians that public school schedules and afterschool programming may be modified across the islands this week as Hurricane Olivia approaches the state.

Effective Tuesday, Sept. 11, all afterschool activities and programs, including interscholastic athletic events and After-School Plus (A+) Programs, will be canceled on the Big Island and Maui County. Click here to view today’s letter to parents.

The only school closure currently in effect Tuesday will be for Hana High and Elementary School.

As the situation evolves, HIDOE will continue to provide updates about cancellations and closures on our website and social media — Twitter and Facebook. Parents are encouraged to work with their child’s school to ensure they have the most up-to-date contact information for their household.

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

“We appreciate the scheduling difficulties that school-related cancellations can have, so we ask our parents and guardians to remain flexible and to check HIDOE’s website for the latest updates throughout this week,” said Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto. “The safety of our students and staff is the highest priority and will guide any decision to alter school schedules.”

Should the need arise for public evacuation shelters during this event, HIDOE will work with emergency agencies to facilitate the use of designated campuses for shelter space.

The National Weather Service expects Hurricane Olivia to bring strong winds, heavy rainfall, and high surf to parts of the state this week. Olivia is forecast to close in on the islands Tuesday and move over portions of the island chain Tuesday night and Wednesday, with Maui and the Big Island experiencing the first impacts.