The front of the June 27 lava flow may remain stalled more than 2 miles above Pahoa, but it has already resulted in the closure of at least two private schools in the community. ADVERTISING The front of the June
The front of the June 27 lava flow may remain stalled more than 2 miles above Pahoa, but it has already resulted in the closure of at least two private schools in the community.
On Tuesday, Montessori Country School, located on Pahoa-Village Road next to Sacred Heart Church, closed its doors for good after 31 years in operation — the same length of time Kilauea’s Pu‘u ‘O‘o eruption has labored to alter the Puna landscape.
And on Monday, Sept. 15, the Kamehameha Schools-operated Pahoa Preschool, located on Puna Road, also shut down, albeit temporarily, as administrators work to find a new location a safe distance from the flow.
The academic year for the nonprofit Montessori Country School got off to a difficult start, and the financial pressures it faced only seemed to be growing as the lava flow approached and students were dropping out of the program, said Director Marie Rieck, who has worked there since the school’s opening day.
“The first week (of school) was the week of (Tropical Storm Iselle), and it’s been rough ever since,” she said. “With the lava where it is and starting flows in this direction, we’re just, my business manager and I, we’re just kind of concerned, (about) the air quality turning on a given day, or about the threat of future flows.
“We could get back up and going and then the next week it’s the same thing. Are we going to get cut off (from Highway 130)? There’s just so many uncertainties. … Some of our children have already relocated to Hilo or gone to different schools, so it changes our whole dynamic here. … It’s a whole trickle down effect.”
Last week, Rieck and her business manager decided it was time to pull the plug, with 12 of the school’s remaining 49 students planning to switch to another school outside the range of the lava flow. The decision to shutter the school was not taken lightly, as evidenced by Rieck’s tears and wavering voice as she discussed the school’s legacy.
“Montessori just has a wonderful philosophy and really honors the child and teaches them respect and a lot of lifelong qualities that will help them to be successful,” she said. “We’re still in touch with a lot of students (who went here), from age 36 down. It’s been kind of amazing. They get the chancellors’ scholarships, they’re scientists and world travelers, and it’s really neat and really fun. …
“We’ve had about 17 second-generation students, so some of our parents, I give them hugs in the morning and I see that little 4-year-old face when I look in their eyes, and it’s kind of a trip.”
Fair Jenkins was at the school Tuesday afternoon with her kids, 2.5-year-old Skip and 5.5-year-old Elizabeth. She said she and her husband, Evan, were devastated by the news of the school’s closure, especially since they had anticipated that their 7-month-old daughter, Caroline, would also one day attend the school.
“We’ll never be able to find a replacement for a place like this. It’s a huge, huge loss,” she said. “We feel very fortunate to have been a part of this experience. It’s really, like, a little heartbeat of Pahoa.”
Jenkins said her family, which currently resides in Leilani Estates, made plans to move to Hilo, where their kids will attend De Silva Elementary School.
“We’re extremely happy about that, but nothing will ever replace what we have here,” she said.
Meanwhile, although Kamehameha Schools plans to find a new location and relaunch Pahoa Preschool, the facility is currently shutdown, according to spokeswoman Elizabeth Ahana.
“We did close our doors last week on Monday. The preschools (department of Kamehameha Schools) is looking for an alternative site to continue the school year, and we’re waiting for pertinent permitting and licensing, and things like that,” she said.
The school handled a total of 32 keiki enrolled from Papaaloa to Naalehu, but administrators felt it was best to close up shop in Pahoa “to give families and our staff time to look for an alternate location,” Ahana said.
“Considering what Civil Defense and their advisories were saying, we thought that instead of waiting until the last minute, we would start earlier.”
The biggest concern for Kamehameha Schools was the lava’s potential of intersecting Highway 130, she added.
“We definitely want to get as far away as possible from where she (Pele) is headed,” Ahana said.
Email Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@hawaiitribune-
herald.com.
