budget
34 Hawaii Schools Fall Below Viability Threshold
With enrollment down 19,774 from its 2014 peak, Hawaii's DOE faces 34 schools below the 250-student funding floor. Redistricting comes first; closures wait until 2028.
Hawaii Education News & Data
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demographics
Hawaii's Schools Are Aging From the Bottom Up
Elementary enrollment has fallen 10.5% while high school holds steady. A 2014 policy change and declining births created a demographic wave now reshaping every level.
district-spotlight
Honolulu Nears the 100,000-Student Threshold
Honolulu enrollment fell to 103,985 in 2024-25, its lowest on record. At the current pace, it drops below 100,000 within three years.
school-choice
One Sector Grew Through COVID. The Rest Lost 15,000 Students.
Hawaii's 38 charter schools added 1,198 students since 2020 while traditional schools across all four counties lost 15,210. Charter share hits 7.8%.
demographics
All Four Hawaii Counties at Record Lows
Honolulu, Hawaii County, Maui, and Kauai all hit all-time enrollment lows simultaneously in 2024-25, while charter schools reach a record high.
policy
A Decade After Act 76, K Still 29% Below Peak
Hawaii's 2014 kindergarten age cutoff change wiped out a third of K enrollment overnight. Ten years later, only 15% of the gap has been recovered.
covid-recovery
Hawaii Ranked 2nd in Academic Recovery. Its Students Still Haven't Come Back.
Every Hawaii county has fewer students than before the pandemic. The post-trough losses since 2021 are nearly double the initial COVID hit.
district-spotlight
Maui Lost 807 Students in One Year
The Lahaina wildfire accelerated Maui's enrollment decline to its worst single-year loss on record, with the county now down 13% from its 2014 peak.
enrollment
Hawaii's Decade-Long Decline Is the Longest on Record
Only one year since 2014 briefly interrupted Hawaii's decline. The state has lost 19,774 students, driven by outmigration, birth declines, and housing.
school-choice
One in 13 Hawaii Students Now Attends a Charter School
Charter enrollment hit a record 13,094 while traditional schools fell to a 15-year low, widening a divergence that accelerated during the pandemic.
district-spotlight
Honolulu Has Lost More Students Than Maui Has Total
Honolulu County enrollment has fallen every year since 2014, losing 18,210 students in an 11-year streak driven by housing costs and out-migration.
demographics
For First Time, Hawaii Has More Seniors Than Kindergartners
Hawaii's K-to-G12 ratio fell below 100% in 2025, a historic inversion driven by a 2014 age cutoff change that permanently shrank kindergarten classes.
enrollment
Hawaii Publishes 2024-25 Enrollment Data
HIDOE releases 2024-25 enrollment data showing 167,076 students statewide, down 2,232, continuing the state's near-unbroken decline since 2014.