Hawaii school officials reviewed security measures as some parents reportedly took their children out of class Friday in the wake of news of the shooting at a Connecticut school that left 28 people dead.
The state Department of Education Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness Branch met with Honolulu Police Department officials to review security procedures for all public schools statewide, a DOE news release said Friday.
"All of Hawaii's public schools have emergency procedures in place, and today our teams revisited those procedures with a heightened awareness," said Hawaii state schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi. "While this tragedy is incomprehensible, all of our schools have counseling services available for students, parents and teachers who may need them."
Although this weekend marks the start of the winter break for Hawaii's public schools, parents and/or students in need of counseling services may contact their school or the DOE for assistance at (808) 586-3232.
Maui County spokesman Rod Antone said that two county workers were so shook up by the shootings that left 20 students killed that they pulled their children out of school and dropped them off with relatives.
"Our hearts go out to the families touched by the tragedy in Connecticut," Mayor Alan Arakawa wrote on his Facebook page. "Please keep them in your thoughts and prayer."
For more on the reaction statewide and tips for parents on dealing with the shooting with their children, see Saturday's Maui News.
