HONOLULU — Most Hawaii public schools will continue at-home distance learning through the first quarter, which ends in October.
Concerns about campus safety during the coronavirus pandemic prompted education officials to postpone the start of the school year by two weeks. Most schools planned to offer hybrid instruction, with students alternating between in-person and online classes. A few schools planned to open to in-person instruction.
However, right before the Aug. 17 start date, the Hawaii Department of Education announced most schools would provide distance learning for the first four weeks.
The teachers union has complained that schools aren’t ready to open safely for in-person instruction and that there is no guidance from state health officials about when a school is safe to open and when it needs to close.
The education department said Thursday it will continue to work closely with state, county and health officials to assess if and when students can safely return to in-person blended learning models.