district-spotlight
Maui's Post-Wildfire Decline Slows but Won't Stop
Maui County lost 281 students in 2025-26, a fraction of last year's 807-student plunge. The wildfire spike has passed but the decline continues.
Hawaii Education News & Data
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enrollment
Hawaii's Crash Era Deepens as Losses Nearly Quadruple
Hawaii lost 3,425 students in 2025-26 after losing just 901 two years earlier. Six years into a crash era, the state has shed 17,437 students.
district-spotlight
Lahaina Schools After the Fire: King Kamehameha III Elementary's Quiet Recovery
King Kamehameha III Elementary, the Lahaina school destroyed in the August 2023 wildfires, has dropped its chronic rate from 67% to 24%, matching the state average, while other Lahaina schools lag behind.
school-choice
Hawaii Charters Cross 8% for the First Time
Charter schools now enroll 8.2% of Hawaii's public school students, but the 2026 gain of just 277 students signals a sector hitting structural limits.
equity
Every Equity Gap in Hawaii's Attendance Data Widened After COVID, and None Have Closed
Every racial and socioeconomic gap in Hawaii's chronic absenteeism data is wider in 2025 than it was before COVID, and not a single one has returned to its pre-pandemic level.
covid-impact
Elementary Schools Recovered Fastest from COVID Attendance Loss. High Schools Are Stuck.
Hawaii elementary schools have recovered 65.5% of their COVID chronic absenteeism spike, while high schools have recovered just 46.3%, and the gap between school levels is widening.
district-spotlight
Honolulu Is 1,341 Students from Crossing Below 100,000
Honolulu County has lost 20,854 students since 2014. At the current pace, Oahu will drop below 100,000 students by next year.
equity
One in Three Low-Income Students in Hawaii Is Chronically Absent
One in three economically disadvantaged students in Hawaii is chronically absent, up from 21% before COVID to 32% in 2024-25.
covid-recovery
Every Hawaiian County Moved Further From Pre-COVID Enrollment in 2026
Hawaii's COVID enrollment recovery reversed in 2025-26 as all four counties widened the gap from 2019. The state lost 3,425 students in a single year.
charter-schools
Hawaii's Charter Schools: A 58-Point Spread from the State's Best Attendance to Near the Worst
Hawaii's charter schools show the widest chronic absenteeism spread of any school category, from Kanuikapono PCS at 1% to Connections PCS at 59%, revealing that charter status alone says nothing about attendance.
enrollment
Hawaii Falls Below 165,000 Students for the First Time
Hawaii enrollment hit 163,651, a new record low. Losses nearly quadrupled in two years as housing costs push families to the mainland.
enrollment
Hawaii Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
HIDOE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 163,651 students statewide, down 3,425, the largest non-COVID loss on record.
enrollment
Hawaii on Track to Drop Below 160,000 Students by 2030
At the current rate of decline, Hawaii will enroll fewer than 160,000 public school students within five years, 13,682 below the state's pre-COVID trajectory.
demographics
Every Year, 1,400 Students Appear in Hawaii's 9th Grade
Hawaii's public schools consistently enroll 10-17% more 9th graders than the prior year's 8th grade class, a pattern driven by the state's outsized private school sector.
enrollment
Hawaii Falls Below 170,000 for Second Straight Year
Hawaii enrolled 167,076 students in 2024-25, breaching the 170,000 floor for the second year running. Honolulu accounts for 92% of the loss.
