The Hawaii Department of Education said the Kona low storms last month caused about $171 million in damage to its public schools, a toll that has pushed some campuses into remote learning and others into long cleanup periods. Keith Hayashi shared the estimate Thursday at the state board of education meeting.
The department has received more than 500 storm-related work orders and 42 insurance claims for several buildings statewide. Hayashi said the scale of the flooding surprised even veteran school officials, noting that the water line at some sites was about four feet high and that he had never seen anything like the intensity of the damage at those schools.
The hardest hit campuses included Konawaena Middle School and Konawaena High School, where students shifted to distance learning after flooding, water intrusion into classrooms, roof and ceiling damage, debris, clogged drainage systems and road closures cut off access. Noelani and Hokulani in Manoa were also affected, and students from Hokulani have been relocated to other schools until cleanup is finished.
The damage is spread across several islands, with schools on Maui, Molokai and Oahu's north shore still recovering when Hayashi gave his report. He said ongoing repairs continue at the affected campuses and praised the staff and facilities teams working through the aftermath. The storm left the education department facing not just repair bills but a statewide recovery effort that is still far from done.
