‘We Are Never Caught Up’: Hawaii’s Aging Schools Need A Facelift … With about 20% of Hawaii’s public schools more than 100 years old, the DOE is struggling to meet a growing backlog of repairs.
The rickety outdoor stairs leading to the second floor of Hilo Intermediate School are loosely blocked off by yellow caution tape. Wood chipped off the building’s exterior earlier this year, threatening nearby students.
Problems at the nearly century-old Big Island school are on a long list of statewide repair projects that are part of a growing backlog as the Department of Education’s facilities maintenance team struggles to keep aging buildings safely in operation.
Aaron Kubo, a social studies teacher at the school, also said tile pieces have fallen from the ceiling indoors in past years.
