HONOLULU — The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education (HIDOE) announced today that it has initiated a discussion on its approach to review public school campuses for potential consolidation in light of a steady decrease in overall enrollment over the past decade. This review follows the guidelines set forth in Chapter 8-38 of the Hawai‘i Administrative Rules which govern the process for determining whether schools should be consolidated. The process includes careful consideration of factors such as:

• Enrollment trends and the ability of neighboring schools to accommodate students
• Physical condition and usage of school facilities
• Operating costs and potential financial savings
• Social and community impacts

HIDOE has shared its strategic approach and methodology they propose to use for identifying schools to be considered for a consolidation study. HIDOE is committed to spending this Spring to engage with stakeholder groups and gain feedback on its process before beginning data collection to identify schools. Schools are not being identified at this time for the study.  The proposed timeline presented to the Board of Education shared that schools would potentially be identified in the Fall 2025 after official enrollment counts were completed. 

“We are committed to ensuring that all students continue to have access to high-quality educational opportunities and that we are making the best use of our public resources,” Superintendent Keith Hayashi said. “This review is an important part of planning for the future of our public school system. We understand the concerns that arise around school consolidations, and we will keep our communities informed throughout the process.”