Josh Green, M.D. on Friday. School starts Monday and Tuesday and the state Department of Education announced at the end of the work week that school bus services are suspended for students in public schools from Ka'u into Puna and Hilo. The Governor signed the emergency proclamation to bolster school bus services to help public school children get to and from school. Some routes are also suspended on Maui and O'ahu.
Suspended routes total 147, affecting some 2,720 students. Students receiving transportation as part of special education services will not be affected.
The DOE will continue to work to restore suspended bus routes and will notify families when routes are restored, says the statement from the Governor.
The emergency proclamation provides flexibility for HIDOE to find interim solutions for the impacted
routes. County of Hawai'i is adjusting routes to help accommodate children using the free public
Those wishing to become a school bus driver can earn starting pay of $32 an hour plus benefits, retirement package and profit sharing. Apply at https://www.groundtransportinc.com/how-to-apply.html.
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SUMMER READING CHALLENGE WAS A SUCCESS, according to a statement from the public library system. Over 16,000 participated in the challenge state wide, reading more than 15.8 million minutes.Summer Reading Challenge participants who logged at least one hour of reading earned an automatic entry for the statewide Grand Prize: four roundtrip tickets to anywhere Alaska Airlines® flies! Watch for the announcement of the grand-prize winner later this month.
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Torey Keltner, Hawai‘i Police Department’s Traffic Services Section Program Manager, said, “The return to school is a pivotal time for our keiki and their families. We are very fortunate to have a strong School Crossing Guard program here in Hawai’i County, however they need our help in areas around schools to ensure this school year is a safe one for our children.”
Here are some traffic safety tips as kids head back to school:
Driver Awareness: Slow down. Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood.
When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch out for children walking or bicycling to school.
Be alert. Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street without looking for traffic.
Watch for children playing and congregating near bus stops.![]()
WITH SCHOOLS STARTING NEXT WEEK and more children likely walking or riding to school with friends in relatives until school bus service is restored, Hawai'i Police Department has issued Back to School School Traffic Safety Tips.
"Hawai’i Police Department is ready to do our part in keeping our keiki safe on their way to and from school. We encourage everyone to drive safe, walk safe, and bike safe with an aloha spirit!"Torey Keltner, Hawai‘i Police Department’s Traffic Services Section Program Manager, said, “The return to school is a pivotal time for our keiki and their families. We are very fortunate to have a strong School Crossing Guard program here in Hawai’i County, however they need our help in areas around schools to ensure this school year is a safe one for our children.”
Here are some traffic safety tips as kids head back to school:
Driver Awareness: Slow down. Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood.
When backing out of a driveway or leaving a garage, watch out for children walking or bicycling to school.
Be alert. Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street without looking for traffic.
Watch for children playing and congregating near bus stops.
Enhanced School Zone Awareness: Drivers are urged to reduce their speed and be extra cautious in school zones, especially during peak drop-off and pick-up times when keiki are most active. Increased Visibility for Pedestrians and Cyclists:Students are encouraged to wear bright clothing and use lights on bicycles. Pedestrians should always use crosswalks and be vigilant when crossing streets.Strict Adherence to School Bus Safety Laws:Obey the school bus “flashing signal light system” that school bus drivers use to alert motorists of pending actions:
Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.
Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off. Motorists must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop-arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.
Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.
Red flashing lights and extended stop arms indicate the bus has stopped and children are getting on or off. Motorists must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop-arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins moving before they can start driving again.
"We all have a role to play in keeping our students safe. Let’s work together and drive with aloha, slow down when approaching school zones, pay close attention to crosswalks and help the school crossing guards to help children get to school safely." says the HPD statement.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.
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To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.
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| The Reunion features the screening of a PBS film Ka'u Sugar, A Town Remembers on the history of the sugar plantation and the closing of the mill in 1996. It will also feature a film on history of the local coffee industry. |
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