Big Island students to go on lava field trips
Some students on Hawaii's Big Island are getting a rare, up-close look at the lava that's disrupting where they go to school.
Hawaii County Civil Defense Directory Darryl Oliveira says starting next week, affected students will go on field trips to parts of the lava flow that has reached the rural town of Pahoa.
He says it's a pilot program that will help officials consider offering lava-viewing opportunities to the public. Access so far has been restricted because of safety concerns.
Lava from Kilauea (kih-luh-WAY'-uh) volcano has forced several schools to close.
Students are being rerouted to other area schools and a temporary site. The state Department of Education built a $9 million temporary site in a parking lot in case lava hits Keonepoko Elementary.
Oliveira says the excursions will include volcano science and a guided walk to where the flow crossed a road.
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