HPA to Suspend Face-to-Face Classes Following Spring Break

Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy is canceling its k-12 face-to-face classes following spring break to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

HPA, a private school located in Waimea, will suspend classes and will move to distance learning for the two weeks following spring break.

The decision came down Friday afternoon, as school officials say they’ve decided to follow the recommendations from dozens of medical professionals and the Centers for Disease Control to practice social distancing as a method of stemming or slowing the spread of this disease.

“HPA’s top priority is the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, staff, and the Hawaiʻi Island community as a whole,” school officials state. “We have been assessing the rapidly escalating COVID-19 (Coronavirus) situation and that has resulted in swiftly changing circumstances on our campus.”

While school officials have no reason to believe anyone on campus has contracted the virus, they are taking precautionary and proactive measures.

“We do not take this decision lightly and we are committed to providing high-quality instruction moving forward,” HPA Head of School Patrick J. Phillips said. “While the social aspect of school is an important part of every child’s experience, we are confident that we can deliver a strong academic program because we know that we have outstanding teachers who truly care for our students. We look forward to the day when we can resume classes as usual, and we know that we will be stronger and more connected for having carried on through this global pandemic.”

Remote classes will begin on April 1, 2020. If experts recommend that gathering in large groups is safe again, regular classes will resume on April 15, although any change will be based on the information and recommendations gathered to keep the community as safe and healthy as possible.