Emphasizing that in-person learning has not been identified as a substantial driver of COVID-19 spread in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week provided guidance for reopening K-12 schools, stressing mask-wearing and social distancing — and that while vaccination of teachers is important, it need not be a prerequisite.

In response, Hawaii’s Education Department should redouble efforts to bring students back to school grounds. Since 2020’s spring break, the vast majority of our public schools students have spent most of their class time in distance-learning setups, which are proving to be less effective than the in-person sort.

Schatz to lead Indian Affairs panel

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz has joined the ranks of Hawaii lawmakers to chair the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, which should come as good news to the Native Hawaiian community, as this panel deals with issues of funding programs for native groups. The late senators who preceded him, Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka, both did a turn in that chair.

The panel has a bipartisan record: Many GOP-led states have large native communities. Room for aloha exists here, at least, in these troubled times.