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Hawaii State Department of Education

Coordinates: 21°18′34″N 157°51′19″W / 21.30944°N 157.85528°W / 21.30944; -157.85528
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21°18′34″N 157°51′19″W / 21.30944°N 157.85528°W / 21.30944; -157.85528

Hawaii State Department of Education
1390 Miller Street
Honolulu
, HI, 96813
District information
GradesK-12
Established1840
SuperintendentKeith Hayashi
Students and staff
Students167,649 (2023-2024)
Teachers~13,000 teachers
Other information
Websitehawaiipublicschools.org
Queen Liliuokalani Building, 1390 Miller St, Honolulu, HI 96813
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The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE, Hawaiian: Ka ʻOihana Hoʻonaʻauao o ke Aupuni Hawaiʻi) is a statewide public education system in the United States. The school district can be thought of as analogous to the school districts of other cities and communities in the United States, but in some manners can also be thought of as analogous to the state education agencies of other states. As the official state education agency, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education oversees all 258 public schools and 37 charter schools and over 13,000 teachers in the State of Hawaiʻi, serving approximately 167,649 students statewide (School Year 2023-24).[1] The U.S. Census Bureau classifies this as a "dependent school system", that is dependent on the Hawaiian state government.[2]

The HIDOE is currently headed by Superintendent Keith Hayashi (since July 1, 2022).[3] The department is headquartered in the Queen Liliuokalani Building in Honolulu CDP, City and County of Honolulu on the island of Oahu.[4][5]

Hawaii is the only state in the nation that does not use property tax revenue to fund public education; instead, most of HIDOE's budget is funded from the state general fund which includes revenue from the general excise tax and income taxes.[6] Hawaii's overall level of property tax is the lowest nationwide.[7] There was a previous law that allowed for locally operated government schools, but this law was rescinded.[citation needed] The term "school districts" in Hawaii is instead used to refer to internal divisions within HIDOE, and the U.S. Census Bureau does not count these as local governments.[2]

History

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King Kamehameha III established Hawaii's first public education system on October 15, 1840.[8] This makes the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education the oldest school system in the US west of the Mississippi River, and the only system established by a sovereign monarch. This date denotes when the constitution came into effect, codifying the new ministry of education. The regent of Kamehameha III, Queen Emma, had ordered the establishment of free public schools in all districts in 1834 and this was done by 1836.

In October 2009, the Hawaiʻi Department of Education agreed to a furlough program for Hawaiʻi's public schools that reduced the number of instructional days by 17 days to a total of 163 days.[9][10] This is the smallest number of instructional days anywhere in the United States.

Board of education

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The Board of Education is a board which votes on matters related to public education. Members are appointed by the governor of Hawaii with the advice and consent of the Hawaii State Senate, which is in contrast to most other school districts in the United States which are directly elected.[citation needed] Hawaii previously had an elected school board from 1966 until 2010 when voters decided to switch back to an appointed state school board.[11][12] Members are appointed for three-year terms for a maximum of three terms.[13]

The Board of Education is empowered by the State Constitution (Article X, Section 3[14]) to formulate statewide education policy. The Board also has the power to appoint the Superintendent of Education, the State Librarian, and members of the State Public Charter School Commission.[15]

There are nine voting members:[16]

  • 1 Chairperson, At-Large
  • 2 Members, At-Large
  • 3 Members, City and County of Honolulu
  • 1 Member, Hawai'i County
  • 1 Member, Kaua'i County
  • 1 Member, Maui County

The board also includes a non-voting public high school student member and a non-voting military representative, for a total of eleven members.[17][18][15]

Academics

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The Hawaii Department of Education has benchmarks and standards for its schools, which include Common Core for English and mathmatics, and Next Generation Science Standards for science.[19] A law was proposed to create a statewide curriculum, the first of its kind in Hawaii, but it did not pass during the 2006 legislative session.[20]

Per the Board of Education, public schools in Hawaii require a total of 24 credits to graduate. This includes four credits in English, four credits in Social Studies, three credits in Science, three credits in social studies, two credits in either a fine arts, foreign language, or Career and Technical Educaton program, one credit in physical education, half a credit in health, and half a credit in a Personal Transition Plan (PTP).[21]

Personal Transition Plan

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In the 2006–2007 school year, the Hawaii State Department of Education implemented a personal transition requirement for students, which requires the completion of a post-high school graduation plan.[22] Students must also meet specific prerequisites at each high school grade level. The personal transition plan is implemented in various ways across schools, including advisory periods, checklists, and web-based career programs.[23] The program follows the Career and Technical Education model as a benchmark.

Learning Centers

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The department offers learning centers for students, which are afterschool programs dedicated to a particular area of study. Learning centers are similar to magnet schools, in which they allow students with similar interests to congregate. Learning centers vary from school to school, and include themes such as agriculture, STEM, business, and performing arts.[24]

Debates

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School reform

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Probably the most current[when?] and controversial debate over Hawaiʻi school reform has to do with the structure of the State Department of Education: specifically, whether it should remain centralized or be broken into smaller districts. The main rationale usually given for the current centralized model is equity in distribution of resources: all schools are theoretically funded from the same pool of money on an equitable basis. (Most schools on the U.S. Mainland are organized into school districts funded from local property taxes; thus, more affluent school districts theoretically receive more money and resources than less affluent areas.) Supporters of decentralization see it as a means of moving decision-making closer to the classroom, and thus achieving better student performance.

The debate divides roughly along party lines, with Republicans generally supporting decentralization and the Democrats supporting the centralized status quo. In 2002, Republican Governor Linda Lingle ran on a campaign to reorganize the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education into smaller school districts that were localed modeled after a system found in Canada. The Democrat-controlled Hawaiʻi State Legislature, however, voted not to enact this plan in 2003 and 2004.

Structure

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The department serves as the sole school district for the entire State of Hawaii.[25] It is divided into 15 complex areas, each consisting of two to four complexes. Each complex area has a superintendent and is composed of complexes that include high schools and their feeder elementary and middle schools. The complex areas are as follows:[26]

  • Honolulu District:
  • Central District:
    • Aiea-Moanalua-Radford Complex Area
    • Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua Complex Area
  • Leeward District:
    • Campbell-Kapolei Complex Area
    • Pearl City-Waipahu Complex Area
    • Nanakuli-Waianae Complex Area
  • Windward District:
    • Castle-Kahuku Complex Area
    • Kailua-Kalaheo Complex Area
  • Hawaii District:
    • Hilo-Waiakea Complex Area
    • Kau-Keaau-Pahoa Complex Area
    • Honokaa-Kealakehe-Kohala-Konawaena Complex Area
  • Maui District:
    • Baldwin-Kekaulike-Kulanihakoi-Maui Complex Area
    • Hana-Lahainaluna-Lanai-Molokai Complex Area
  • Kauai District:
    • Kapaa-Kauai-Waimea Complex Area

Schools

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Public high schools

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Main article: List of high schools in Hawaii
City Schools
Honolulu CDP 8
Greater Oʻahu 15
Niʻihau 1
Kauaʻi 3
Molokaʻi 1
Lānaʻi 1
Maui 5
Big Island 11

Public middle schools

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Main article: List of middle schools in Hawaii
City Schools
Honolulu CDP 24
Greater Oʻahu 17
Niʻihau 1
Kauaʻi 3
Molokaʻi 1
Lānaʻi 1
Maui 6
Big Island 18

Public elementary schools

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Main article: List of elementary schools in Hawaii
City Schools
Honolulu CDP 55
Greater Oʻahu 76
Niʻihau 1
Kauaʻi 13
Molokaʻi 4
Lānaʻi 1
Maui 17
Big Island 37

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Hawaii DOE | Media Kit". www.hawaiipublicschools.org. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Hawaii" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. p. 1. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  3. ^ "Hawaii BOE selects Keith Hayashi as superintendent". hawaiipublicschools.org. May 19, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  4. ^ Home Page. Hawai'i Department of Education. Retrieved August 31, 2008. "Physical address: 1390 Miller St, Honolulu, HI 96813"
  5. ^ "Office of Human Resources." Hawaii Department of Education. July 6, 2013. "Queen Liliuokalani Building 1390 Miller Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 "
  6. ^ "The Bottom Line: How the Hawai'i DOE Gets and Spends its Money". Honolulu Magazine. May 21, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  7. ^ "Property Taxes by State and County, 2024". Tax Foundation. October 19, 2024. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  8. ^ "Hawaii DOE | Media Kit". www.hawaiipublicschools.org. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  9. ^ Pilkington, Ed (October 21, 2009). "Hawaii schools to move to four-day week in state cost-cutting measure". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  10. ^ Escalante, Eunica (March 18, 2020). "On Education: Remembering Furlough Fridays". FLUX. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  11. ^ Harlow, Casey (November 10, 2022). "The state Board of Education is appointed. It used to be elected. Is one way better?". Hawai'i Public Radio. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  12. ^ Vorsino, Mary (October 17, 2010). "BOE: Elected or appointed?". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  13. ^ "Current Board of Education Member May Not Be Renominated". Honolulu Civil Beat. May 22, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  14. ^ "Hawai'i State Constitution - Article 10". Hawaii.gov. Archived from the original on October 30, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2008.
  15. ^ a b "About the Board of Education". boe.hawaii.gov. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  16. ^ "Members". boe.hawaii.gov. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  17. ^ "Mark Dannog." Hawai'i Department of Education. Retrieved on April 6, 2011.
  18. ^ "Military Liaison." Hawai'i Department of Education. Retrieved on April 6, 2011.
  19. ^ "Subject Matter Standards – Hawaiʻi State Department of Education". hawaiipublicschools.org. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  20. ^ "HB2588 Measure History". data.capitol.hawaii.gov. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  21. ^ "Microsoft Word - 102-15 (05-19-2015)" (PDF). Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  22. ^ "PTP.pdf" (PDF). Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  23. ^ "Preparing to Graduate – Hawaiʻi State Department of Education". hawaiipublicschools.org. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  24. ^ "LCDirectory.pdf" (PDF). Retrieved March 26, 2025.
  25. ^ "SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Hawaii" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved September 9, 2024. - Text list
  26. ^ "Hawaii DOE | Complex Area directory". www.hawaiipublicschools.org. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
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