KAILUA-KONA — Travel to and from Kahakai Elementary School will soon become smoother, and Principal Jim Denight hopes substantially safer after the State Legislature allocated $355,000 to improve safety conditions on Kahakai Access Road.
KAILUA-KONA — Travel to and from Kahakai Elementary School will soon become smoother, and Principal Jim Denight hopes substantially safer after the State Legislature allocated $355,000 to improve safety conditions on Kahakai Access Road.
Denight will meet with representatives from the Hawaii Department of Education and community members later this week to decide which improvements will receive priority. Ideas in the works include adding a second roadside walkway, the addition of a crosswalk and the addition of speed bumps and speed limit signs.
“We want to look at (all) possible ways to improve the road, but we are really concerned about the safety issues,” said Denight, who added that the funds allocated should be in the ballpark of enough to allow for all the improvements the school wants to implement. “Hopefully, it will all come together in a timely fashion.”
The state budget, passed last week, earmarked more than $389 million in Capital Improvement Project (CIP) funding for Hawaii Island projects over the next two fiscal years, according to a press release from the Hawaii House of Representatives.
Improvements to schools, highways and airports will command the majority of funds procured by Big Island representatives for 2016 and 2017.
Among other West Area schools receiving funding are Konawaena High School, granted $335,000 for general improvements, and Kealakehe Elementary School, which picked up $300,000 for improvements and parking. Naalehu Elementary was also granted $290,000 for repairs and maintenance.
The largest state allocations announced in the press release were $126 million for improvements at Kona International Airport, $55 million to support the construction of a new Kona Judiciary complex and $33.5 million for Keaukaha Military Reservation projects.
The largest educational allocation was $12.5 million, which will be used to construct a new classroom building at Waikoloa Elementary and Middle School.