Department of Education

In the 2024-2025 school year so far, the department has hired 125 new drivers and has reinstated 125 of the 138 canceled routes. The improvement is partially due to the department's decision to change the qualifications for school bus drivers.

Dana Shapiro, the president and CEO of the Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative, said the organization shipped hundreds of pounds of breadfruit to the 60 or so schools for the program a few weeks ago.

Next month marks 20 years since Hawaiʻi got out from under a consent decree because it failed to live up to federal laws to provide education for students with disabilities. The Conversation talked to civil rights attorney Eric Seitz to learn more.

Recent cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture will impact some of Hawaiʻi's school lunch programs. The Conversation talked to Dean Uchida, Deputy Superintendent of Operations for the DOE, about how USDA funding cuts may impact Hawaiʻi's school lunch program.

Superintendent Keith Hayashi said his department hasn’t seen any direct reduction in federal K-12 funding but noted that there are significant threats.

Local news gathering and operations are dominated by graduates of private schools, which often have more resources and staff support for students interested in pursuing a career in news media. In this Scholastic Journalism Week, HPR's Cassie Ordonio reports.

Several bills this legislative session opt for either universal free breakfast and lunch, or for free meals for students who are currently eligible for reduced-pricing. But for past sessions, cost has been the biggest obstacle. Emma Caires, HPR's legislative news intern, has more.

The esports lab at ʻIlima Intermediate was designed with student collaboration in mind, promoting an environment that centers on teamwork and interaction.

The Hawaiʻi County Council could urge the state Legislature to implement a universal free school meals program for public school students statewide.

The state Department of Education hasn’t made any progress in a mandate to source more of the food it serves from local farmers. Since being given the 30% mandate, the DOE has said that local farmers can’t reliably provide enough food for the 100,000 meals it serves daily.