Kamehameha Schools President Michael Chun has written a letter to the families of students and alumni, hoping to reassure them after allegations of sexual assault on the Kapalama campus rocked the community.

But what the letter accomplished was to underscore how much more work school officials face before anyone can expect to be fully reassured.

In the letter, dated Sept. 6, Chun draws a distinction that's difficult to appreciate, given the seriousness of the allegation. The school uses one approach, Chun said, when the law requires schools to report "abuse or neglect in the home." There's another practice that applied when the 12-year-old student, a boarder, reported being raped by two male students over the course of a weekend.

In the latter category — "serious offenses between students here on campus" — the school's first response is to "immediately protect" the students, keeping them safe, gathering information, he said.

Nowhere does Chun explain why that protective act couldn't have happened in tandem with a police report.

Kamehameha should have had a clear policy to report such a serious allegation so police can begin investigating promptly. The fact that it took this case to compel that change is unconscionable.

The letter includes a pledge that, going forward, officials "will notify the proper authorities of serious offenses." That's an appropriate first step to re-establishing trust in the school's safety policies.

Chun said he would, "over the next few weeks," hold meetings with the school community to provide updates and answer questions. He owes them a full explanation of policies and facilities established to protect students. The door should remain open for the long term for families who entrust their children to the school's care.