November 3, 2009
Dear Parents,
Yesterday, Kea’au High School held a special school-wide assembly to discuss the multiple October 28 campus disturbances, KHS discipline and lockdown policies, recent Chapter 19 changes, and to offer school-based counseling services to KHS students and staff. Chapter 19 of the Hawaii Administrative Rules covers student misconduct, discipline, school searches and seizures, reporting offenses police interviews and arrests, and restitution for vandalism.
On Wednesday, October 28, 2009 , several Kea’au High School students were involved in multiple physical altercations during first recess and lunch. KHS immediately implemented school wide lockdowns and called the Hawaii County Police Department. HPD officers arrived quickly on the scene and arrested several students.
The school investigation into the October 28 brawls is ongoing. Students involved in the altercations will receive disciplinary actions according to Chapter 19, as well as possible changes in educational placements. More suspensions and/or arrests are expected to occur this week as additional students are identified through camera footage and witness statements. Students who instigated and/or encouraged the fights will also be disciplined. (A Nov. 2 Hawaii Tribune-Herald news article quoted a parent stating a student had incurred specific injuries. KHS has not received any student report involving a broken nose or lost teeth.)
Your child’s safety is extremely important to us. With this in mind, please take the time to review the following discipline/safety guidelines with your teenager:
- When a lockdown is announced via the KHS loudspeaker system and/or school personnel, students need to “immediately” enter a classroom and remain there until notified/released by the school administration.
- During an altercation, students are to leave the area of the fight and let school personnel handle the situation. Students who take off items of clothing (shirts, shoes, etc), yell, posture, gesture, and otherwise instigate or encourage the individuals involved in the altercation, will receive school discipline according to Chapter 19, and face possible police arrest.
- During emergency situations (fights, lockdowns, medical situations, etc), students are required to “immediately” follow the directives of school personnel. Any threat, injury, or disorderly physical contact directed toward school personnel will result in Chapter 19 discipline, police arrest, and possible change of educational placement.
On a positive note, we are extremely pleased that the vast majority of our students did not take part in the October 28 altercations and followed the school lockdown directives in a safe and expedient manner. I would also like to give kudos to our Kea’au High School personnel who did an excellent job of moving students into secure areas during the campus lockdowns.
Our KHS staff is dedicated to maintaining a safe and nurturing learning environment for our students. If you have any questions or concerns regarding student safety at Kea’au High School, please feel free to contact any of our administrative personnel at 982-4220.
Mahalo for your continued support of Kea’au High School
Sincerely,
Ronald Jarvis, Acting Principal
Kea’au High School
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