Hawaii State Department of Education

King Kamehameha III established Hawaii's first public education system on October 15, 1840.{{Cite web |title=Hawaii DOE {{!}} Media Kit |url=https://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/ConnectWithUs/MediaRoom/MediaKit/Pages/home.aspx |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=www.hawaiipublicschools.org}} This makes the Hawai{{okina}}i 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 Hawai{{okina}}i Department of Education agreed to a furlough program for Hawai{{okina}}i's public schools that reduced the number of instructional days by 17 days to a total of 163 days.{{Cite news |last=Pilkington |first=Ed |date=2009-10-21 |title=Hawaii schools to move to four-day week in state cost-cutting measure |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/oct/21/hawaii-schools-fridays-furlough |access-date=2025-02-14 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |last=Escalante |first=Eunica |date=2020-03-18 |title=On Education: Remembering Furlough Fridays |url=https://fluxhawaii.com/on-education-remember-furlough-fridays/#:~:text=The%202009-2010%20school%20year,171,000%20students%20who%20attended%20them. |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=FLUX |language=en-US}} This is the smallest number of instructional days anywhere in the United States.

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|date=November 2023}} Hawaii previously had an elected school board from 1966 until 2010 when voters decided to switch back to an appointed state school board.{{Cite web |last=Harlow |first=Casey |date=2022-11-10 |title=The state Board of Education is appointed. It used to be elected. Is one way better? |url=https://www.hawaiipublicradio.org/local-news/2022-11-10/hawaii-board-of-education-appointed-elected-which-is-better |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=Hawai'i Public Radio}}{{Cite web |last=Vorsino |first=Mary |date=2010-10-17 |title=BOE: Elected or appointed? |url=https://www.staradvertiser.com/2010/10/17/hawaii-news/boe-elected-or-appointed/ |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=Honolulu Star-Advertiser}} Members are appointed for three-year terms for a maximum of three terms.{{Cite web|date=2020-05-22|title=Current Board of Education Member May Not Be Renominated|url=https://www.civilbeat.org/2020/05/current-board-of-education-member-may-not-be-renominated/|access-date=2020-07-03|website=Honolulu Civil Beat}}

The Board of Education is empowered by the State Constitution (Article X, Section 3{{cite web |title=Hawai'i State Constitution - Article 10 |url=http://www.hawaii.gov/lrb/con/conart10.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030174656/http://hawaii.gov/lrb/con/conart10.html |archive-date=2008-10-30 |access-date=2008-11-06 |publisher=Hawaii.gov}}) 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.{{Cite web |title=About the Board of Education |url=https://boe.hawaii.gov/About/Pages/AboutUs.aspx |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=boe.hawaii.gov}}

There are nine voting members:{{Cite web |title=Members |url=https://boe.hawaii.gov/About/Members/Pages/Members.aspx |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=boe.hawaii.gov}}

• 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."[http://www.hawaiiboe.net/About/Members/Pages/MarkDannog.aspx Mark Dannog]." Hawai'i Department of Education. Retrieved on April 6, 2011."[http://www.hawaiiboe.net/About/Members/Pages/MilitaryLiaison.aspx Military Liaison]." Hawai'i Department of Education. Retrieved on April 6, 2011.

As of 2025, the Hawaii State 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.{{Cite web |title=Subject Matter Standards – Hawaiʻi State Department of Education |url=https://hawaiipublicschools.org/academics/subject-matter-standards/?highlight=standards |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=hawaiipublicschools.org}} 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.{{Cite web |title=HB2588 Measure History |url=https://data.capitol.hawaii.gov/sessions/session2006/Status/HB2588.asp |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=data.capitol.hawaii.gov}}

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).{{cite web |title=Microsoft Word - 102-15 (05-19-2015) |url=https://boe.hawaii.gov/policies/Board%20Policies/High%20School%20Graduation%20Requirements%20and%20Commencement.pdf |access-date=2025-03-26}}

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.{{cite web |title=PTP.pdf |url=https://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/DOE%20Forms/Graduation%20Brochures/PTP.pdf |access-date=2025-03-26}} 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.{{Cite web |title=Preparing to Graduate – Hawaiʻi State Department of Education |url=https://hawaiipublicschools.org/academics/preparing-to-graduate/ |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=hawaiipublicschools.org}} The program uses the Career and Technical Education model as a benchmark.

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.{{cite web |title=LCDirectory.pdf |url=http://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/DOE%20Forms/Learning%20Centers/LCDirectory.pdf |access-date=2025-03-26}}

Probably the most current{{When|date=February 2025}} and controversial debate over Hawai{{okina}}i 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 Hawai{{okina}}i State Department of Education into smaller school districts that were localed modeled after a system found in Canada. The Democrat-controlled Hawai{{okina}}i State Legislature, however, voted not to enact this plan in 2003 and 2004.

The department serves as the sole school district for the entire State of Hawaii.{{cite web |title=SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP (2010 CENSUS): Hawaii |url=https://www2.census.gov:443/geo/maps/dc10map/sch_dist/st15_hi/DC10SD_S15_001.pdf |access-date=2024-09-09 |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/sch_dist/st15_hi/DC10SD_S15_SD2MS.txt Text list] 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:{{Cite web |title=Hawaii DOE {{!}} Complex Area directory |url=https://www.hawaiipublicschools.org/ConnectWithUs/Organization/Offices/Superintendent/ComplexAreas/Pages/default.aspx |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=www.hawaiipublicschools.org}}

• Honolulu District:
• Farrington-Kaiser-Kalani Complex Area
• Kaimuki-McKinley-Roosevelt Complex Area
• 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

{{Main|List of high schools in Hawaii}}

{{Main|List of middle schools in Hawaii}}

{{Main|List of elementary schools in Hawaii}}

{{Portal|Hawaii|Schools|Education}}

• State education agency
• Hawaii State Student Council

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{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Hawaii Department of Education}}

• [http://www.hawaiipublicschools.org Hawai{{okina}}i State Department of Education]
• {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/*/http://doe.k12.hi.us/|title=Hawai{{okina}}i State Department of Education (doe.k12.hi.us)}}
• {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.k12.hi.us/|title=Hawai{{okina}}i State Department of Education (k12.hi.us)}}

• [http://www.nhec.org Native Hawaiian Education Council]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070124182820/http://www.hawaiialumni.com/ Hawai{{okina}}i Official list of public school alumni sites in Hawaii]

{{K-12 Education agencies in the US}}

{{United States school districts}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hawai'i Department Of Education}}

Hawaii

Hawaii

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Category:School districts established in 1840

Category:1840 establishments in Hawaii

Category:Educational organizations established in 1840