Konawaena High School faces many unsightly issues.  Here, a brown cockroach chooses to reside in the new teacher vending machines.  COURTESY /Robert Newman 

 By Brighton Kimball 

Staff Writer 

At Konawaena High School, as students walk around the campus using it for their daily activities and classes, a large but sometimes unnoticed issue persists: the outdated condition of the surrounding infrastructure.  Konawaena’s campus is old and in poor condition.  Many buildings on campus need to be renovated and improved, such as the music building and the Ellison Onizuka Gym.  The infrastructure could be far better.  Just take a walk around the hallways and the cracks show, especially in the walls.   

The buildings here need modernization for a better facility experience.  We need major changes, such as renovated bathrooms, or even buildings redone from the ground up.  To be sure, schools in other states suffer the same issue.  Many factors obviously contribute to this, and according to the University of Hawai'i, lack of funding is one of them. 

Although many people believe that Hawai’i public schools receive enough money, this is not true.  The fact is that Hawai’i ranks among the lowest in percentage of state and local expenditures supporting 1st to 12th grade, according to the article.  

The University of Hawai’i News argues that public schools in this state face chronic under funding, according to a report by the Hawai’i Scholars for Education and Social Justice.  The report authored by UH Manoa faculty members and 117 Hawai’i based scholars argues that the public school system lacks sufficient support.  

Investing in the quality of our schools is an investment in the future of our state’s economy.  Better schools increase graduation rates, and better graduation rates increase economic opportunities.    

The report gives multiple recommendations, such as improved workplaces and better funding for public education.  The answer is simple; more effort needs to be put into the public school systems in Hawai’i, adequate and reasonably used funding is an essential part of this.  It would help solve an issue that affects both students and teachers. 

Ms. Loriann Takizawa, also known as “Sensei” by her students, is a teacher of the Japanese language and the Head of the Department of Foreign Language at Konawaena.  

In 1990, she graduated from Konawaena High School, and thus knows a lot about how the school has looked since then.  Even though about 35 years have passed, according to Ms. Takizawa, the school looks quite unchanged.  However, one new addition to the school is the elevators around campus.  

“It looks the same as it is now, basically… being that this school started 100 years ago, it all looks quite old anyway.  Even with renovations, there has been very little significant change,”  said Ms. Takizawa. 

Until three years ago, Ms. Takizawa’s classroom had the same outdated furniture from when she had graduated.  She believes that the facilities here could be much better.  The last major renovation besides the football field was about 10 years ago.

“I know that during earthquakes, there have been cracks in the walls, and the ceiling tiles would fall off. There is a lot of structural damage when earthquakes happen,” she said. 

Recently, an earthquake caused structural damage to Ms. Takizawa’s classroom.  The damage was fixed by plastering the cracks the earthquake caused, but repairs were minimal.  However, she is happy that the school is remodeling the PE equipment and football field. 

It’s not that the Hawaii Department of Education isn’t trying to fix many of the issues explained above.  They are indeed aware of the problems that persist in many public schools, and there are efforts to allocate enough resources needed.  But some persistent issues often arise, which can impede things getting done or slow down progress entirely.   

The Hawaii Department of Education's Annual Report on the Six-Year Program and Financial Plan for School Repair and Maintenance showcases these issues.  This is submitted by the Office of Facilities and Operations, which manages overall public school maintenance.  Every year, this facility plan awaits approval from a board.  The report identifies maintenance issues involving costs, health, safety, and legal regulations.  It proposes a $1.7 billion budget plan for the years 2026 and 2027 in order to cover 12 areas in need.   

Deferred maintenance is one of the 12 areas covered in the report.  The DOE needs $250 million in this area to replace, improve, and repair school facilities in critical condition assessed by engineers and architects. 

Another place in need of support is the Lahaina Elementary School, which was unfortunately lost in the 2023 fires.  About $145 million is needed to rebuild the school. 

What can stop these projects from happening?  If funding isn’t received or lapses, then projects can be canceled entirely.  These issues can also impact the experience of the caretakers and custodians of school campuses.   

“We need to do so much more.  The lockers are old; we have plugged toilets, sinks falling off the walls, and the bathrooms need to be painted because they are chipping.  We need funding spent in the right places,”  said Diana Kang, a custodian at Konawaena High School for about six and a half years.  While on the job, she’s encountered bugs and mold, among other things.  

The agency that does most of the repairs on campus is The Department of Accounting and General Services, or D.A.G.S. for short.  D.A.G.S. works for the district, and large repairs, like a remodel, will come out of the school budget.

Since Kang started working here, she's seen a few changes in the library.  Despite this, she agrees that the school needs some major repairs, so we all can take pride and care for our campus.   

Hawai’i isn’t the only state that has these issues.  An article titled “Op-Ed: NJ’s ‘half-measures and empty promises’ on school facilities” produced by New Jersey Spotlight News showcases some of the similar issues that other places in the country have.  

The article addressed to the governor and Legislature of New Jersey argues that many schools desperately need better funding, increased repairs, and improved infrastructure.  It reports that poor facilities negatively affected the ability to learn and teach.  

August of last year was excessively hot in New Jersey, forcing many districts to close their schools temporarily, and similar to Konawaena High School, many school buildings are over 100 years old.  The article lists many additional issues in schools, such as inadequate bathrooms.  

Using past Supreme Court rulings, the article argues that the NJ government has a moral and legal obligation to take better care of its schools.  Although the state has made tremendous progress in the past, there is still more work to be done.  

In my opinion, the school, including its facilities and infrastructure, is in poor condition.  While we say we have pride at Konawaena High School, it doesn’t show.  Vandalism and trash are far too common.  We need more care and attention for our school buildings.  When we take care and pride in our school, we make a difference.  What often stops improvements is the lack of funding, or the basic absence of it.  Even when there is money being circulated, it is obvious it is not being spent in the right place.  t 

This isn’t a Hawai’i exclusive problem, as many other places have the same issues.  Teachers and custodians alike want to see improvement, and the DOE knows this, but once again, a lack of funding cancels progress.  Putting effort, care, and funds into our school is an investment in the future of our state and its younger generations.  We need safe, clean facilities, with improved and modernized infrastructure, which will improve learning and teaching.  None of this can be accomplished if there is a lack of money or pride.