Hawai´i Students Back to Full In-Person Learning This Fall, DOE Says

Students attending Hawai´i public schools will be back to full in-person learning come the fall semester.

In a letter to parents on Monday, the State Department of Education (HIDOE) indicated it plans to return to instruction as normal beginning Aug. 3 when the 2021-22 school year begins.

The justification for the move, the letter explained, is that safety protocols have been fine tuned and COVID-19 vaccinations are now available for all children 12 years and older.

A return to regular activities will also include extracurriculars, such as sports and music.

It has been more than an entire school year since students have attended daily classes as normal. Educators have raised concerns about the lack of social elements to student development, which has been part of the push to get kids back in the classroom.

The letter noting HIDOE’s decision was authored by Superintendent Christina Kishimoto. However, Kishimoto won’t be calling the shots come Aug. 3, as her final day on the job is July 30. How a change in leadership might affect in-person policy in a post-coronavirus world remains an open question.