Hawaii County Council urges state to speed repairs to three Kona schools after storm, cites $20 million estimate

The Hawaii County Council voted unanimously April 8 to urge Governor and state education officials to prioritize and expedite repairs of three Kona schools heavily damaged in the recent Kona storm.

The resolution (515-26), introduced by Council members Nava and Galimba, calls on the governor and the superintendent of the Department of Education to use available state emergency funds to restore Konawaena High School, Konawaena Middle School and Kekahai O Ehunui. The chair told the council that preliminary estimates for repairs to those three campuses are “around $20,000,000.”

Council members framed the vote as a necessary step to restore classroom operations and reduce disruption for students. Council member Galimba said the damage made the high school unlikely to reopen this school year and described distance learning as the current arrangement for affected students.

Council member Kimball disclosed a potential connection to rebuilding work, saying, “my husband’s architecture firm has a long standing professional services contract with the Department of Education and will likely be involved in these projects,” and added that she had been advised it was not a direct conflict but that disclosure was appropriate. The disclosure was recorded before the council took its vote.

Several members pressed for attention to causes as well as repairs. Council member Villegas urged scrutiny of development and watershed changes, saying the council should “look into the causes” so that repairs do not become “a band aid on something that will happen again.” That exchange followed a broader appeal that any restoration planning also consider long‑term flood corridors and ecological changes that may have contributed to the damage.

Action and next steps: The council approved Resolution 515-26 by voice vote; the measure asks state officials to prioritize the schools for state emergency funds and to move quickly on restoration planning. The resolution does not appropriate county funds; it is a formal request that the county sent to state decision makers. The council did not set a follow‑up deadline in the meeting record.

Background: Members said the affected schools will likely remain in distance learning for the near term. The council framed the request as time‑sensitive because of the schools’ role in student instruction and the reported scale of damage.

The council had no further action on the item at the April 8 meeting; staff or council members may pursue additional communications with state officials per the resolution’s direction.