HIDOE Extends Distance Learning in Hawai‘i

Distance learning in Hawai‘i public schools will now extend into the month of October.

The Hawai‘i State Department of Education (HIDOE) announced Thursday that it will continue the “Learn from Home” phase of distance learning for most students statewide through the first quarter, which ends Oct. 2.

Ahead of the Aug. 17 return of students for the 2020-21 school year, the department announced most schools would shift the majority of instruction to distance learning for at least the first four weeks of the academic year. Thursday’s announcement extends that by three weeks for the remainder of the first quarter.

The extension applies to all O‘ahu schools and most neighbor island schools. Hāna High & Elementary School on Maui and Kilohana Elementary, Maunaloa Elementary, and Moloka‘i Middle schools on Moloka‘i will continue their current models.

During the “Learn from Home” phase, schools will continue offering learning hubs on campus to provide connectivity for students who need it. Schools will also continue educational programming for vulnerable students as previously identified.

Complex area superintendents will work with school principals to develop transition plans for the second quarter, with considerations for community-specific needs.

The department 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, HIDOE said in a press release. As decisions are made, schools will communicate with families.