Fixing a muddy problem at one Oahu school is actually quite complicated

Fixing a muddy problem at one Oahu school is actually quite complicated
Updated: Sep. 13, 2018 at 4:16 PM HST
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HALAWA (HawaiiNewsNow) - Flooding near an elementary school is forcing students to trudge through muddy sidewalks just to get to class.

It's a reoccurring problem. But because there are several landowners involved, fixing it is complicated.

On Thursday morning, the only road leading into Gus Webling Elementary in Halawa was buried in mud — and so was the sidewalk.

As crews worked to clear the street, the principal directed traffic — helping students wade through the muck.

"You got 20 city workers out there with backhoes, water trucks, multiple vehicles, dump trucks. Every time it rains. It's a total waste of taxpayer money," said state Rep. Matt LoPresti, whose district includes Ewa Beach.

"It's not an unknown problem. I've tried to raise awareness as a parent and as a legislator and people just point fingers at each other."

While the state owns the land on either side of the school's entrance, a 30-foot wide corridor that borders the front of the school is the Navy's responsibility. Both agencies say they're aware of what's happening and that they're working together to solve the problem.

Navy personnel were on-site Thursday morning. A spokesperson said the military will be replacing any damaged erosion controls as soon as possible.

"That's bologna. They've been going with band-aids for years. They just got to put in a storm drain," said LoPresti. "It's not about erosion control per say. It's about the run-off. It has to go somewhere."

The DOE says the flooding didn't damage any of the classrooms or the nearby cafeteria.

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