Department of Education enrollment drops for second straight year

The number of students attending public and charter schools in Hawaii dropped 2.6% for the 2020-21 school year, the second straight year of declining enrollment.

The Department of Education reported Friday that 174,704 students were enrolled for the new school year, compared with 179,331 the previous year, a difference of 4,627.

That’s an even greater decline than the 0.2% dip in numbers for the 2019-20 school year.

The DOE data also showed a slight shift in the number of students in public versus charter schools. While public school enrollment decreased 3.0% with 4,963 fewer students than the previous year, enrollment at publicly funded charter schools increased 2.8%, with 336 more students.

DOE officials were not available Friday to explain the change in enrollment, which could be due to many factors, such as changing demographics with fewer school-age children in the state; parents switching to homeschooling or private schools offering in-person instruction during the COVID- 19 pandemic; or families leaving Hawaii.

Enrollment at public schools stands at 162,491, compared with 167,454 last year. For charter schools, enrollment is 12,213, compared with 11,877 the previous year.

The list of the five largest public high schools in Hawaii remained unchanged, with Campbell in Ewa Beach at the top of the heap once again with an enrollment of 3,079 students.

The biggest middle and intermediate schools also remained the same, although the ranking shifted somewhat, with Kapolei Middle School dropping to fourth place from second. At the top was Mililani Middle, with 1,684 students.

Waipahu’s August Ahrens kept its No. 1 spot for elementary schools, with 1,237 students.

On the other end of the spectrum, Niihau High and Elementary’s enrollment was a meager 15, making it the smallest public school in the state.

Hawaii Technology Academy, based in Wailuku, was the largest charter school with 1,337 students enrolled statewide.

The smallest charter school is Kula Aupuni Niihau a Kahelelani Aloha in Kekaha, Kauai, with 33 pupils.

Schools have experienced a tumultuous start of the new school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the question of whether to conduct traditional in-class learning or to continue distance learning.

Schools Superintendent Christina Kishimoto initially announced that classes would be conducted on campus with physical distancing and other precautions in place.

However, as coronavirus cases surged in Hawaii, the DOE announced Aug. 27 that distance learning would be in effect for nearly all public schools with a few exceptions that use face-to-face and hybrid models.

Although public schools are in distance-learning mode, some students with specialized needs go on campus for classroom instruction. Those without internet access at home are offered the use of learning labs on campus that provide connectivity.

PUBLIC AND CHARTER SCHOOLS WITH LARGEST ENROLLMENT, 2020-21 SCHOOL YEAR

HIGH SCHOOLS

Campbell 3,079

Waipahu 2,809

Mililani 2,620

Farrington 2,365

Maui 2,100

MIDDLE/INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS

Mililani 1,684

Waipahu 1,289

Ewa Makai 1,262

Kapolei Middle 1,151

Maui Waena 1,100

ELEMENTARY

August Ahrens 1,237

Holomua 1,078

Ewa 995

Waipahu 953

Keoneula 943

CHARTER

Hawaii Technology Academy 1,337

Kamaile Academy 893

Ka Waihona o ka Naauao 741

Kihei Charter School 713

Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences 711

Source: State Department of Education