Hawaii public schools to resume in-person learning in January

Hawaii’s public schools will resume in-person learning when students return to classes on Tuesday — despite the unprecedented surge in COVID-19 new cases, and sharp criticism from Hawaii’s teachers union.

Schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi said in a statement, “We’ve seen the benefits of in-person learning for our students’ social development and academic achievement, and while we remain vigilant due to the omicron variant, we have consistent safety measures in place that have proven effective at mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in our schools.

“Core safety protocols such as getting vaccinated and boosted, masking, social distancing and hand-washing have helped keep our positivity rates lower than the broader community, as well as our counterparts on the mainland.”

Teachers are scheduled to return from winter break on Jan. 3, and students are set to return Jan. 4. Hayashi said that over the break, state and school leaders have been revisiting contingency plans and preparing for potential situations that may require modifications to in-person instruction. Schools will notify their staff and families directly if changes are warranted, officials said.

Gov. David Ige and state Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char in a news conference today voiced support for the DOE’s plan, and track record in minimizing spread of the virus. Since Dec. 1, the DOE said, Hawaii’s 257 public schools collectively have seen a daily average of 19 positive cases across nearly 42,000 staff and 160,000 students.

However, Osa Tui, Jr., president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, which represents Hawaii’s 12,800 teachers, called the education department’s response inadequate and irresponsible.

“While school districts across the country are taking proactive steps to mitigate the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant, the Hawaii State Department of Education continues to make no adjustments while cases dramatically increase during the holiday season. We are seeing more and more that even being fully vaccinated and boosted is not enough to be fully protected anymore,” Tui said in a statement.

“HIDOE and the Hawaii Department of Health had time to make better plans for situations such as this and failed to act in a responsible way.”

Tui said the DOE has refused the union’s requests to view COVID contingency plans, and added, “Our communities deserve more transparency so they can plan for adequate childcare and work/schedule modifications. “

Mililani parent Kimo Villarimo said he is “very nervous” about sending his two children back to in-person learning amid the surge, especially since his mother-in-law is immuno-compromised.

“Knowing that the numbers are up is kind of scary,” said Villarimo, father of Noah, an eighth-grader, and Mia, a sixth-grader, both at Mililani Middle School. Villarimo said said he understands how important in-person learning is, but he is disappointed that the DOE has not been more prepared and transparent with shutdown contingencies and virtual-learning options.

The resumption of in-person learning comes as the islands and the nation face unprecedented numbers of new cases of COVID-19, largely driven by the highly contagious omicron variant. Hawaii Health Department data show the daily count of new cases here has risen by 550% over the past two weeks, the testing positivity rate is now 13%, and 127 people are hospitalized.

Today three new coronavirus-related deaths and 1,561 new confirmed and probable infections statewide bring the state’s totals since the start of the pandemic to 1,085 fatalities and 106,158 cases. The U.S. is averaging a record 265,000-plus cases per day on average, and the national death toll is nearing 823,000.

Meanwhile, the University of Hawaii on Tuesday announced all 10 of its campuses will move most of their courses online for the first two weeks of the spring semester, which begins Jan. 10. Full in-person learning is tentatively set to resume Jan. 24, but UH officials say they will continue to monitor the surge. UH joins dozens of other colleges and universities from across the nation opting to begin the spring semester online.

Starting Monday, all UH students and employees will be required to be fully vaccinated or have a university-approved medical or religious exemption to be on campus. Those with approved exemptions must regularly submit proof of a negative test.