HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The state Department of Education is addressing years-old safety concerns about setting off fire alarms in public schools.

New data shows significant improvement on the islands, but there is still a long list of upgrades.

Concerns have increased again DOE reported 22 April Many of their schools did not have working fire alarm systems.

This latest report shows that the department is addressing the most serious problems. But about a quarter of schools’ systems need updating.

It shows Kahuku High School and Sunset Beach Elementary School are the last two schools whose alarm systems were not working.

Although progress has been made, parents and educators at these schools are growing impatient.

“It’s very concerning, especially when you look at the surrounding area, to see that most of the grass is dry, as well as we have water issues,” said Carlos Mozo, a substitute teacher at Sunset Beach Elementary School.

“When you look at the big picture of the state, I don’t think we’re a priority,” Mozo said.

Despite the concerns, some praise the DOE for its actions over the past six months.

“It’s great that the district is making this progress, and we hope it will happen with the rest of the deferred miniatures we find,” said Deborah Bond-Upson of the group Parents of Hawaii Public Schools.

The DOE report also shows the department’s ongoing struggle with aging systems.

It lists 72 public schools that have fire alarm systems, but are 20 years old and have no spare parts; slightly higher than six months ago.

“We know we have a lot of work to do in our school buildings, and fire alarms are just one separate issue that needs to be looked at to see how things are going,” Bond-Upson said.

A manual system is available for schools whose fire alarms are not working properly.

DOE said it plans to spend more than $20 million to replace all fire alarm systems over the next few years.

You can find the full report here.

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