Hawaiʻi schools have fewer students for the eighth year in a row as lawmakers push for campus closures and consolidations by the end of the decade, according to recent data from the state education department. 

This fall marks the first time in at least a decade that student enrollment in the Department Education dipped below 150,000. Public schools enrolled a total of 147,656 kids this year, nearly a 2% drop from last fall. 

A decade ago, public schools enrolled nearly 170,000 students. The education department has attributed the drop in students to declining birth rates and families with young children leaving the state. 

But changes in student enrollment vary widely across the state, with some communities experiencing significant growth in recent years. 

On Maui, Kamaliʻi Elementary School in Kīhei grew by 12% this year, increasing its enrollment from 327 to 367 kids. A few miles away, Kūlanihākoʻi High School also increased its student enrollment by 8%, bringing its total population to 600 teens this fall. 

Some Oʻahu elementary schools also recorded higher enrollment this year, including Waiʻanae Elementary School, which grew by 14%. In Kapolei, where some schools are struggling to keep up with the recent housing boom, Hoʻokele Elementary School’s enrollment grew by 11%.

On the other hand, two schools saw their enrollment drop by more than 100 students: Farrington High School in Kalihi and DreamHouse ʻEwa Beach, a charter school serving students in grades six through 12. 

Despite its declining enrollment, Farrington High School was the sixth-largest school in the state this year. Campbell High School in ʻEwa Beach remains the largest school with more than 2,800 students. 

Unlike traditional public schools, charter schools recorded another year of growth. More than 13,400 students enrolled in charter schools this fall, a small increase from the 13,371 attending last year. Charter schools, which are state-funded and free for all families, tend to have more flexibility with setting their curriculum. 

Despite the education department’s declining enrollment, the state hasn’t closed a school since 2011, when it shuttered Queen Lydia Liliʻuokalani Elementary School in Kaimukī. But lawmakers are now forcing the education department to take more decisive action, even though talk of school closures has generated strong community pushback in the past.

House Bill 2344, which became law this summer, establishes an independent commission to review school facilities and recommend campus consolidations or closures. The commission will consider factors such as enrollment trends, students’ academic needs, campus costs and the impact of closures on disadvantaged communities. 

The commission will hold public hearings on the proposed recommendations and will publish its final report by October 2028. The education department must act on the commission’s recommendations by the end of the decade.