After next week’s fall break, it will be a back-to-school time like no other — as nearly 3,000 Lahaina students, along with teachers and staff, return to three refurbished schools for the first time since the devastating Aug. 8 wildfire.

Scattered by the inferno, many of Lahaina’s students and faculty continue to live in temporary dwellings as recovery slowly starts. For most, being back on campus will be a critical part of that recovery process, providing an important return to structure, stability, learning and camaraderie. A semblance of normalcy, pre-Aug. 8.

This Friday, teachers and staff at three schools damaged by fire, now repaired for health and safety, return to prepare for reopening. Then over two days starting Oct. 16, students will be welcomed back: to Lahainaluna High School on Oct. 16, Lahaina Intermediate School on Oct. 17, and Princess Nahi‘ena‘ena Elementary on Oct. 18. At Princess Nahi‘ena‘ena, about 680 students will share their campus with nearly 600 students from King Kamehameha III Elementary, which was damaged beyond repair.

The elementary schools’ co-sharing will continue until about late-January, while a temporary King Kamehameha III Elementary is being built on 10.2 acres near Kapalua Airport, thanks to $5.36 million in federal emergency funds.

There’s so much to root for, for these keiki and youth who have already seen unimaginable misery and upheaval since Aug. 8. Many of their teachers, too, have lost homes and are struggling to regain footing.

That’s why it’s imperative that the state Department of Education (DOE) makes the back-to-school transition as smooth and positive as possible, with minimal confusion. Concerns must get addressed swiftly and supportively. Among them:

>> With many families uprooted, living in temporary homes and/or without cars, it’s vital that DOE maintain robust transit to and from the Lahaina schools. Basically, there will be shuttle-type bus stops at Whalers Village and Kapalua Airport as well as a stop each in Central and South Maui — but route details are still being worked out.

To that end, parents are urged to fill out an online form by Sunday (see 808ne.ws/parentsurvey) on what they plan to do when campuses reopen, to help inform attendance numbers and transportation needs.

>> Ensuring environmental health and safety. The DOE says “extensive environmental testing” has found air, drinking water and soil quality at the Lahaina schools to be safe, and building interiors have been professionally cleaned. It’s necessary that external air quality sensors have been installed at the three campuses and makai of the Lahaina bypass road — and that more safety guidance will come before staffers return to campuses on Friday, outlining schools’ actions on monitoring and responding to such changes as air quality and wildfire threats.

>> For some, returning to campus remains difficult — so it’s positive that the distance-learning option will continue to operate. Unfortunately, the in-person learning hub at West Maui’s Citizen Church is closing down today, since it had been staffed by teachers from the Lahaina schools, who now will return to their campuses. The DOE must ensure that the remote-learners don’t get left behind.

>> Providing mental health and emotional support. To adjunct existing resources, DOE spokeswoman Nanea Kalani said, DOE is working with Queen’s, Kaiser and the state Health Department to get more professionals on campus to provide mental health support for employees. Also, grant funds will help establish a dedicated clinical psychologist and support personnel to serve Lahaina schools. Good. Beyond website links, all students and faculty must be made aware of the array of in-person counseling and support.

It will be a milestone moment when the three campuses reopen in less than two weeks. Schools have always been safe spaces for keiki, and that’s never been truer than now for this ravaged Lahaina community. With perseverance and some luck, today’s young people of Lahaina will come out of this dark time smarter, stronger and more resilient than ever before.

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ONLINE: See the steps underway to reopen the schools at: bit.ly/LahainaSchoolsProgressReport.