Even if the state could afford it — which it can’t — “hardening” public schools here into fortresses is simply not feasible, not with Hawaii’s open-air, relaxed- access campuses that give students and faculty myriad ways on and off the grounds. And metal detectors, or armed security and teachers? No. This is still the land of aloha, not a dense urban jungle forced into preoccupation over weaponry and safety.

Yet. That doesn’t mean state Department of Education (DOE) officials can afford to be lackadaisical on today’s somber realities: That violence can, and does, happen in the most unexpectedly places — suddenly and tragically. They can’t continue to slow-roll school vulnerability assessments, as has occurred over the past six years, but must create uniform protocols and make changes to keep students and staff as safe as possible.

Amid a surge of U.S. mass and school shootings in recent years, Hawaii’s DOE has been sluggish in taking stock of its 258 regular campuses, plus 37 public charter schools. Since 2017, only 140 of the 258 schools have been formally evaluated for problems that could make them more vulnerable to a potential active shooter.

So, it’s good that DOE is finally adopting a sense of urgency: While campus vulnerability assessments had been optional up until the last school year, they are now mandatory and being accelerated. Evaluations of all campuses should be completed by June, said Curt Otaguro, DOE’s deputy superintendent of operations.

As Hawaii public students head back to school on Monday, it’s a timely reminder that some 168,630 keiki (based on 2022-23 enrollment) will be on these campuses every weekday for the next 10 months. That should further spur DOE to improve safety at schools — even as it has repeatedly refused to disclose completed campus assessments to Star-Advertiser reporter Esme Infante, citing security concerns.

Instead, DOE only shared a presentation created for its complex- area superintendents outlining the top 10 issues found in vulnerability assessments done at schools so far: emergency action plans, school perimeter security, perimeter fencing, safety and security signage, classroom and office doors, communication capabilities, establishing “hard corners” for hiding, adult supervision during student transition periods, situational awareness and school climate.

Withholding each schools’ vulnerability assessments from the media is one thing, but let’s hope they’re being readily shared with the schools. Each campus has a school safety committee, which should be apprised of results, as should the school’s faculty and parent-teacher association. That would allow all to work toward mitigating vulnerabilities, such as the need for camera upgrades and better door locks. A shortage of staff, for instance, to keep perimeters secure or to monitor student transition periods (dropoff, pickup, lunch or recess) might be bolstered by parent volunteers.

It’s chilling to realize that since the 1999 Columbine (Colo.) High School massacre, there have been 386 U.S. school shootings; one of the most heartbreaking was in May 2022, when 19 children and two teachers were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. That incident, in particular, starkly underscored the critical need for police officers and law enforcement to be well-trained and ready with rapid responses to potential school violence.

Even without aggressive intent, any firearm on campus raises danger. In May, Kapolei Middle School went into lockdown after a student brought a gun to school; in June, a student reportedly brought a pellet gun to Niu Valley Middle School. In both cases, letters were sent home, urging parents to discuss gun safety with their children.

Better gun awareness and education at home will be vital. As noted by Erica Yamauchi, of the Hawaii chapter of the Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, Hawaii needs to push on multiple fronts, including campaigns to get parents to lock away guns from children, and to make progress on DOE campus vulnerability and threat assessments.

Hawaii historically ranks low in the prevalence of gun violence: 50th among 50 states and Washington, D.C., thanks to a longstanding tradition of strict gun-control laws. That’s starting to change, though, no thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court landmark ruling in June 2022 that broadened gun rights and essentially compels municipalities to issue more firearm-carry permits. Fortunately, Hawaii’s state and city governments have been quick to craft as-strict-as-possible laws, such as prohibiting firearms in “sensitive places” — including schools and child-care centers.

Of course, there is no way that schools will ever be 100% safe, given human variables. But the key here is to optimize the odds for safer campuses by taking as many precautionary measures as possible. That’s why completing campus vulnerability assessments for all DOE schools is so crucial, to inform improvements.

Based on what is known so far, many things need to be shored up — and any one of them could well be the difference between safety, or tragedy.