Twenty-five new public pre-kindergarten classrooms are set to open in the upcoming 2025-26 school year with another 25 to follow in 2026-27, Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke announced at a news briefing at Kalihi Elementary School on Tuesday.
The new classrooms, which will add approximately 1,000 new seats by August 2027, represent the next phase of the Executive Office on Early Learning’s Public Pre-Kindergarten Program, a key component of the state’s Keiki Ready initiative to provide universal access to pre-kindergarten for Hawaii families by 2032.
“Ready Keiki continues to commit to Hawaii’s youngest learners and their families,” Luke said. “Expanding public pre-k is a key part of that vision. By opening more free preschool classrooms across our islands, we’re giving families greater access and more options while ensuring every child has the opportunity to start school ready to learn and thrive.”
The new classrooms, which will raise the total number of pre-k seats to 2,700, will be situated in rural communities on Oahu and areas with high workforce demand.
“With 117 classrooms across 89 locations statewide, this is a transformative moment for early learning in Hawaii,” said EOEL director Yuuko Arikawa-Cross. “We’re especially pleased that this expansion will ensure more equitable access to quality preschool for families in rural Oahu and our neighbor islands.”
Twenty-one of the 25 new classrooms this year will open at Title I schools, i.e., schools that receive federal funding under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to help students from low-income families.
The additions also include Hawaiian language public pre-k classrooms at Hana High and Elementary and Hauula Elementary, and Kapolei’s first public pre-k classroom (at Barbers Point Elementary). Additional pre-k classrooms are being added at Hahaione, Hana, Kaala, Keaau, Linapuni and Solomon elementary schools due to high area demand.
According to the lieutenant governor’s office, each classroom renovation was completed at a cost between $291,000 and $320,000, significantly below the $1 million per site that was originally budgeted.
Each new classroom will be able to accommodate up to 20 students, ages 3 and 4.
Priority will be given to children who are: in foster care; experiencing homelessness or unstable housing; members of households earning no more than 300% of the federal poverty level; in other at-risk situations that may impact development and learning; eligible for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and whose designated “least restrictive environment” is general education; or dual or multi-language learners.
New public pre-k classrooms opening this upcoming school year will be located at the following schools.
Hawaii Island: Kalanianaole Elementary and Intermediate; Keaau Elementary; Keaukaha Elementary
Kauai: Kaumualii Elementary
Maui: Hana High and Elementary
Oahu: Barbers Point Elementary; Hahaione Elementary; Hauula Elementary; Heeia Elementary; Helemano Elementary; Kaala Elementary; Kahala Elementary; Kaiulani Elementary; Kalihi Elementary; Linapuni Elementary; Lehua Elementary; Lunalilo Elementary; Maili Elementary; Makaha Elementary; Maunawili Elementary; Royal Elementary; Solomon Elementary
Applications for EOEL’s Public Pre-Kindergarten Program are open and accepted on a rolling basis at earlylearning.ehawaii.gov. For more information, families can contact EOEL at 808-784-5350.
Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.
