Some schools had to deploy other staff to monitor students as the state Department of Education sought to avoid closures.

The interim superintendent stressed the importance of maintaining in-person instruction for students’ academic and emotional growth.

A 2-week winter break will relieve some strain on displaced families and teaching staff but the future outlook is still cloudy.

The numbers remain relatively low but raise concern about a possible surge ahead of the two-week winter break.

Private school enrollment rose to 33,540 as of Oct. 1, compared with 31,987 in 2020-21, according to the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools.

One teacher was fired four months after being sentenced in a criminal case.

The expansion of locally published children’s books comes as Hawaii schools try to promote multilingualism.

Gov. David Ige’s office increased the percentage of low-income students private schools must serve before they can participate in the program.

Kamalani Academy’s enrollment has grown but the Hawaii charter school commission says it can’t count roughly half the students.