Three of four Waimea schools to reopen

By Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Big Island Bureau

HILO, Hawai'i — Waimea residents continued to wring out and clean up yesterday, with Waimea Middle and Elementary schools planning to reopen today after flooding broke a water line and forced the campuses to close this week.

Kanu O Ka 'Aina Charter School and Parker School will remain closed today. Parker School will reopen tomorrow and Friday, but Kanu O Ka 'Aina will be on spring break for the rest of the week, school staff said.

More than 11.4 inches of rain fell on Waimea in the 48 hours beginning 8 a.m. Saturday, flooding roads, damaging some homes and wrecking equipment at Kanu O Ka 'Aina School on Opelo Road.

The school closures were mostly prompted by a break in two 12-inch water lines serving Waimea. The lines were the main source for 6,000 homes and businesses, some of which still had no water yesterday.

County crews from the Department of Water Supply completed temporary repairs yesterday afternoon to restore service, with more lasting repairs expected to take about two weeks.

County officials asked residents to conserve water in the meantime.

Ku Kahakalau, principal of Kanu O Ka 'Aina, said Waikoloa Stream next to the school was plugged with debris and jumped its banks, sending floodwaters into a warehouse that the school used as a computer lab. The overflow also flooded large tents, mounted on concrete slabs, used for classroom space.

Older students, parents and grandparents turned out Monday to help clean up the mess.

The most serious damage was to computer equipment that Kahakalau said will cost "tens of thousands of dollars" to replace. Most of the money for the computers came from grants.

Kahakalau is filing an insurance claim but has been advised that the losses probably won't be covered. The school has established a fund at First Hawaiian Bank to accept donations from community members.

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com or (808) 935-3916.