There are no DOD schools in Hawaiʻi, including those on military installations. All public schools are part of the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education.

The school your child can attend will depend on where you will live. Please contact your service’s school liaison officer.

As with any other student enrolling in Hawaiʻi’s public schools, you will need:

• Student Enrollment Form (PDF) or the Supplemental Kindergarten Enrollment Form (PDF) for students entering kindergarten.
• Home Language Survey (PDF)
• Valid photo ID of parent/guardian
• Birth certificate
• Proof of current address
• Health requirements: Health Record Form, immunizations, and a tuberculosis exam
• Copy of transcript from last school
• If necessary, legal documents, other documents from previous school, special needs documents

No, the school your child can attend will be dependent on where you will live.

Yes, the following income should be reported in the application:

• Off-base housing allowance
• Base salary
• COLA
• Food BAS (Subsistence in Kind)
• Clothing allowance (once a year)

Your child’s new public school in Hawaiʻi shall initially honor placement of the student in educational programs based on current educational assessments conducted at the school in your previous state or participation and placement in like programs in the sending state; provided that these programs exist in your child’s new school. The programs include but are not limited to Gifted and Talented programs, Advanced Placement courses​ and English Learner programs. This initial placement shall not preclude the Hawaiʻi school from performing subsequent evaluations to ensure appropriate placement of the student. The new school may allow the student to attend similar educational courses within the school district if it does not offer such educational programs.

Yes, your child’s new public school in Hawaiʻi shall initially honor placement of the student in educational programs based on current educational assessments conducted at the school in your previous state or participation and placement in like programs in the sending state; provided that these programs exist in your child’s new school. The programs include but are not limited to Gifted and Talented programs, Advanced Placement courses​ and English Learner programs. This initial placement shall not preclude the Hawaiʻi school from performing subsequent evaluations to ensure appropriate placement of the student. The new school may allow the student to attend similar educational courses within the school district if it does not offer such educational programs.

The new school shall initially provide comparable services to a student with disabilities based on the student’s current IEP. Additionally, the school shall make reasonable accommodations and modifications to address the needs of incoming students with disabilities, subject to an existing section 504 or Title II Plan, to provide the student with equal access to education. The school can perform subsequent evaluations to ensure appropriate placement of the student.

The criteria for applying for a GE can be found here. The principal at the school you wish to attend outside of your geographic district will make the final decision on the GE application.

Your child is required to attend the school in the geographic area of your residential location. Requests to remain in a school outside of your housing area will be considered by your child’s current school principal. The principal’s decision is most often based on school capacity. For example, some schools serve the newly arrived children residing in temporary lodging facilities (TLF) in addition to military family housing residents within the school geographic area. When families move out of TLF into permanent housing, the school must then accommodate the new families in TLF.

Please refer to the School Calendar. ​Individual school calendars may vary slightly, so please check with your school for a detailed breakdown of its calendar.

Yes, kindergarten is full-day in Hawaiʻi. To attend kindergarten in Hawaiʻi, which is mandatory, a child must be 5 years of age by July 31 to enroll for the school year that begins in August.

Homeschooling requirements can be on the homeschooling page.

Please visit the Hawaiʻi Association for Independent Schools website.