Students at Lahainaluna High School say they’re searching for normalcy after the pandemic moved their freshman year online and the fires disrupted their senior year.

Some advocates are concerned that dissolving the School Facilities Authority could hinder the state’s ability to construct more pre-kindergarten classrooms.

But what’s the long-term solution here? Stronger gun control laws, more campus security and knowing the warning signs aren’t simple to do.

Former state Rep. Roy Takumi will now lead the volunteer board tasked with setting policy and overseeing Hawaii’s public school system.

The temporary school, which began hosting classes this month, was built in only 95 days.

A lack of institutional knowledge among board members and staff is limiting the BOE’s effectiveness and leaving it open to legislative interference, education advocates say.

Opportunities for high schoolers to earn college credit have been growing in popularity, but Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students are participating at lower rates.

Public forums are set to begin this month with finalists to be named by September and a new leader announced in October. But questions linger over whether the process will be transparent and independent.

The Department of Education is at odds with the teachers union and some Lahaina parents over how much information the public should have access to when it comes to safety plans.

The Senate is being asked to confirm seven picks for the 11-member board, including a member nominated last year who has yet to get a confirmation hearing.