Department of Education

After a lengthy selection process, a final site to rebuild Lahaina’s King Kamehameha III Elementary School has been chosen at a 14-acre Kuʻia site below the Lahaina Bypass.

Farrington High School students and nearby Kalihi residents are raising concerns about new murals on campus that they worry are not reflective of Kalihi’s diverse community. HPR's Cassie Ordonio has more.

Hawaiʻi's inaugural state high school surfing championship is dropping in next year, making the state the first to recognize surfing as an official interscholastic state championship sport. The official surfing season is expected to start in February, with the championship scheduled for May 2026 on Maui.

University of Hawaiʻi administrators hope to learn more this week about how deep budget cuts will be as a result of a U.S. Department of Education decision to reduce funds for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian programs. Chad Walton, interim vice president of research and innovation at the University of Hawaiʻi, spoke to The Conversation.

Brenda Jensen, Hawaiʻi Pacific University acting provost, and Lance Askildson, Chaminade University provost, spoke to The Conversation’s Catherine Cruz about the latest cuts each university is dealing with.

The Association for Middle Level Education is an international organization that strives to improve schools that educate 10 to 15-year-olds. Each year, the organization gives out the title of “Schools of Distinction” to institutions that go above and beyond in elevating student success. This year, Moanalua, Kaimukī, and Āliamanu middle schools were all recognized, putting them among 24 schools across the country that were given this title for 2025.

The bus driver shortage is no longer a state of emergency, according to the Hawaiʻi Department of Education. This is a drastic change from last year when more than 138 bus routes were suspended, impacting 3,500 students.

The state Department of Education has updated its school breakfast and lunch menus to feature more locally sourced foods in public school meals.

About 10 years ago, the Hawaiʻi Department of Education was given $100 million to install air conditioning in 1,000 classrooms. A recent report by the state auditor found that the department not only fell short of its goal, but also had serious lapses in accounting for the funds.

Ron Balajadia with the Hawaiʻi Department of Health shares what parents need to know about the uptick in whooping cough cases across the state; Adaptations Dance Theater on Maui cultivates homegrown talent through a new summer residency