Fifty new public preschool classrooms will open statewide over the next two years. It’s the next phase of the Ready Keiki initiative, which is aiming to provide universal pre-K by 2032.
Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke said the new classrooms are part of a larger effort in the state to create more seats for young children.
" What we're seeing right now is just kind of part of a bigger plan to build out preschools. Thanks to the work of the School Facilities Authority — we are looking at non-school facilities to open preschools, whether it is at libraries, whether it's in conjunction with affordable housing, it's in conjunction with the city and county of Honolulu, with many of the county partners. They are doing very innovative things to open a lot of preschool seats," she said.
Twenty-one out of the 25 new classrooms will open at Title I schools, which serve low-income students. There are up to 20 children in each classroom.
The program prioritizes children in foster care, those experiencing homelessness and multi-language learners.
Originally, the state Legislature allocated about $200 million to build more public preschool classrooms. This year, they added another $20 million to continue the effort.
While enough preschool teachers are applying for positions, the Executive Office of Early Learning Director Yuuko Arikawa-Cross says they are in need of educational assistants.
