Over 850 students in Ka‘u have been out of school since damage from Hurricane Lala shuttered the campuses of Na‘alehu Elementary and Ka‘u High &Pahala Elementary.

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Over 850 students in Ka‘u have been out of school since damage from Hurricane Lala shuttered the campuses of Na‘alehu Elementary and Ka‘u High &Pahala Elementary.

While the state Department of Education announced plans for students to resume in-person instruction next week, the department began efforts this week to provide food and other supplies to impacted families in Pahala, Na‘alehu and Ocean View.

The department plans to host weekly distributions at sites in each location and expects to give out approximately 4,500 meals each week.

At the Pahala pick-up site on Wednesday, cars filed by throughout the morning to collect bags containing five days worth of breakfast and lunch meals per child, as well as other supplies including toiletries and grade-specific take-home educational materials.

Na‘alehu Elementary School Principal Jason Britt was present along with other Ka‘u school leadership and staff.

“Education is, of course, my top priority,” he said. “But that can’t happen until the families and the students are cared for, making sure they have a safe place to stay at night, making sure they’re for food in their bellies, and then getting them back into an educational environment as soon as we can.”

Ka‘u High &Pahala Elementary School Principal Tiffany Pratt said another current focus is on addressing emotional needs, for both students and teachers — many of whom have suffered loss from the hurricane.

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“One of our teachers is one of the ones where her house almost got shifted out by the river,” she said. “So then we have that level of trauma, as well as just their families and friends that have gone through things. So it’s the social, emotional needs and support of our faculty and staff, and then how do we support them so that they’re ready for the kids?”

Establishing the regular distribution points is a step in the right direction, said U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda, who was also at the site helping to pass out bags.

“COVID showed us, the fires showed us, the Kona lows showed us, that the one thing we need to do is provide some stability for kids during times of crisis,” she said. “When everything else has gone crazy and the world is turned on its head, schools are the place that kids and parents look to to provide them with the basic necessities, to be a safe place for their children.”

As car windows were rolled down to accept supplies, staff chatted and checked-in with the students and parents inside, exchanging smiles and sharing hopes to be back on campus soon.

“When we talk about schools as safe places, it’s not just the buildings — it’s the people,” Tokuda said. “You look at all the staff here right now doing everything that they can. … It’s just a testament to our educators and our school ohana that they’re always trying to do what’s best for people.”

The DOE plans to continue the distributions weekly until further notice. They will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m at Ka‘u High &Pahala Elementary School and Na‘alehu Hongwanji Mission on Wednesdays and at St. Jude’s Episcopal Church in Ocean View on Thursdays.

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Email Grace Inez Adams at [email protected].