Most Hawaiʻi Island and Maui County public schools reopened September 28 after Hurricane Nolo precautions, while four Lahaina campuses remained closed because of power outages, an active brush fire, and concerns about reliable water service.
Editorial Note
The operational decision discussed here took effect on September 28 even though the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education announced it on the evening of September 27. That distinction is important under New To Education’s date-integrity standard: the underlying school reopening and closures occurred on September 28.
Emergency conditions can change quickly. Families should rely on current Hawaiʻi Department of Education, school, county, utility, and emergency-management communications for real-time operational decisions rather than treating this article as a live emergency alert.
Most Hawaiʻi Island and Maui County public schools returned to normal operations on September 28 following precautionary closures associated with Hurricane Nolo, but four Lahaina schools remained closed. Hawaiʻi’s education department cited continuing power outages, uncertainty surrounding the nearby Olowalu brush fire, and concerns that reliable water service could not yet be guaranteed.
Bottom Line
The four campuses remaining closed were King Kamehameha III Elementary, Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary, Lahaina Intermediate, and Lahainaluna High School. The state said Hurricane Nolo had not caused significant damage to Department campuses overall, allowing most schools to reopen after facility and road assessments.
The Lahaina decision shows that reopening a school requires more than confirming the building is still standing. Electricity, water, road access, nearby fire conditions, communications, transportation, and the ability to operate safely all matter.
What Happened
HIDOE had previously closed public schools on Hawaiʻi Island and Maui County as a precaution before severe weather. By September 28, most affected campuses were able to reopen because the storm had not caused significant school damage and access routes were considered usable.
Lahaina remained different. Widespread power outages were still affecting the area, the Olowalu brush fire remained active, and weather had interfered with utility inspections and restoration work, leaving the Department unable to guarantee reliable water service at the four campuses.
What This Means
School reopening decisions are infrastructure decisions as much as educational decisions. A classroom cannot function normally if toilets, drinking water, refrigeration, lighting, communications, ventilation, medical equipment, or fire-safety systems depend on utilities that cannot be relied upon.
A surrounding community also has to be safe enough for students and employees to travel. A school may be physically undamaged while road closures, fire risk, flooding, or power failures still make normal operation unreasonable.
Who This Affects
Students and families at the four Lahaina schools face another interruption to instruction and routine. Employees may also face reporting changes while managing the same utility and community conditions affecting their students.
The broader community is affected because schools provide more than lessons. They are linked to meals, transportation, counseling, activities, family schedules, special-education services, and daily stability.
Reopening Is a Risk-Management Decision
There is no single infrastructure indicator that determines whether a school is ready. Leaders need information from facilities teams, utilities, transportation personnel, emergency managers, local government, and school administrators.
The decision can also change rapidly. Restoring electricity may resolve one concern while an active fire or unreliable water supply creates another, which is why reopening plans need multiple decision points rather than a simple storm-ended/storm-over distinction.
Continuity of Learning Matters After the Immediate Emergency
Short closures may be absorbed without major academic consequences, but repeated disruptions accumulate. Schools need ways to communicate assignments, support students with disabilities, maintain access to meals where possible, and reconnect students quickly when campuses reopen.
Remote learning is not always a complete solution during disasters because the same families affected by power and internet outages are the least able to use online alternatives. Continuity plans therefore need low-tech options and realistic expectations.
What This Does Not Mean
The continued Lahaina closures do not mean Hurricane Nolo caused major structural damage at those four schools. HIDOE specifically said the storm did not cause significant damage to Department campuses overall.
The closures also should not be interpreted as evidence that officials expect a prolonged shutdown. HIDOE said it would continue monitoring conditions and coordinating with utilities and county emergency-management officials to determine when reopening is safe.
The Bigger Picture
Schools increasingly have to plan for compound hazards. A tropical system may pass without destroying a campus yet leave power failures, flooding, fire conditions, unstable roads, or water problems in its wake.
That reality makes resilience more complicated than emergency response. Districts need backup communications, infrastructure contingency plans, family-contact systems, alternative instructional arrangements, and relationships with utilities and emergency agencies before a disaster occurs.
What Happens Next
HIDOE is continuing to monitor West Maui conditions and coordinate with county officials and utility providers. Families and employees have been directed to follow official school and Department communications for reopening updates.
The most immediate milestone will be restoration of conditions sufficient to support safe operations at the four Lahaina campuses. Even after reopening, schools may need flexibility for families whose homes, transportation, work schedules, or utilities remain affected.
Why This Matters
Education continuity depends on community infrastructure. A school system can prepare buildings well and still be unable to operate when the systems surrounding those buildings fail.
September 28 in Lahaina demonstrates why school emergency planning must extend beyond the campus boundary. Students return safely only when the school and the community systems required to reach and operate it are ready together.
Key Takeaways
Most Hawaiʻi Island and Maui County public schools reopened September 28.
Four Lahaina schools remained closed.
The four campuses are King Kamehameha III Elementary, Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary, Lahaina Intermediate, and Lahainaluna High.
HIDOE cited power outages, the nearby Olowalu brush fire, and unreliable water-service concerns.
The Department said Hurricane Nolo did not cause significant damage to school campuses overall.
School reopening depends on utilities, transportation, surrounding hazards, and operational readiness, not structural damage alone.
Families should follow official HIDOE and school communications for real-time changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Lahaina schools were closed September 28?
King Kamehameha III Elementary, Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary, Lahaina Intermediate, and Lahainaluna High remained closed. Other Maui County and Hawaiʻi Island schools largely reopened.
Were the schools badly damaged by Hurricane Nolo?
HIDOE said the storm did not cause significant damage to Department campuses overall. The continuing Lahaina closures were tied primarily to power, fire, and water-service concerns.
Why does water service affect reopening?
Schools need reliable water for drinking, sanitation, food service, hygiene, and other building operations. Uncertain water availability can make safe operation impossible even when classrooms themselves are undamaged.
When will the four schools reopen?
HIDOE had not set a reopening date in the update reviewed for this article. The Department said it would continue evaluating conditions with utilities and emergency-management partners.
Final Thoughts
A storm does not end for a school when the wind stops. It ends when students can travel safely, buildings can function, utilities are dependable, employees can report, and families have enough stability for ordinary routines to resume.
That is why Lahaina’s September 28 closures matter beyond Hawaiʻi. They illustrate the difference between a building surviving a disaster and an education system actually being ready to reopen.
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Sources
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education — Hawaiʻi Island and Most Maui County Public Schools to Reopen Monday
