PAHOA, Hawaii – Its back to school time for Hawaii’s students… but if they plan to attend the Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science charter school in Puna, they wont have a bus ride.

The Hawaii Department of Education told educators at HAAS that it will no longer allow students attending the charter school “by choice” to ride on their school buses.

Sixty students from HAAS are affected by this DOE decision. Making matters worse, the DOE informed HAAS Principal Steve Hirakami of the decision just this Friday, Aug. 2nd, only three days before the kids were supposed to be catching the buses to school.

Ten of those displaced children are special needs students.

HAAS Principal Steve Hirakami speaks during special meeting on the schoo bus situation on Sunday.

On Sunday, school officials held an emergency meeting with parents and media to talk about the decision, which is the most recent of a long history of hurdles the charter school has had to contend with.

Hirakami explained the situation to everyone. Parents seem to be just as upset about the latest news as educators.

Some even agreed it may be time to consider a class action lawsuit.

For now, it seems as if parents and faculty will scramble to try to get the kids to school in a safe manner.

Puna councilman Greggor Ilagan said he would like to convene a meeting with other DOE administrators and elected officials to try to reach a resolution.