Hawaii

Number of Native American Charter Schools: 5

Number of Native American Charter Students: 1,455

Total Number of Native American Schools: 5

State Public Education Department: Hawaii Department of Education

State Average Per Pupil Funding: $13,436

Charter Support Organizations: Hawaii Public Charter Schools Network

Year Charter Law Enacted: 1994

2020 Model Law Ranking: 30

Estimated Number of Charter Schools: 36

Estimated Number of Charter Students: 11,565

The public charter school commission can request needs-based charter school facilities funding from the legislature as part of its annual budget request. Funding amounts are prioritized for allocation by the charter school facilities funding working group. This program is currently not funded by the legislature. Hawaii law requires the state department of education to identify unused public school facilities that may be appropriate for charter schools and solicit applications from charter schools interested in using and occupying all or portions of the facilities of the department school. If a charter school occupies or uses the facilities of a department school immediately prior to converting to a charter school, upon conversion that charter school must be given continued exclusive or joint use of the buildings or facilities unless the state demonstrates a tangible and imperative need to reclaim all of the facilities.
Hawaii law provides that when any department considers closure of any facility, it shall give “reasonable consideration” to making all or portions of the facility available to charter schools and early learning programs. Each department shall provide notice to the superintendent, state public charter school commission, and executive office on early learning, identifying suitable unused facilities that may be appropriate for public charter schools, early learning programs, including the pre-plus program and any other purpose the department of education deems appropriate. The department of accounting and general services shall biennially survey departments concerning unused facilities and inventory the suitable facilities, and, in determining suitability for educational re-use, priority shall be given to facilities on sites with sufficient space for three or more classrooms.