Expanded Hawaii preschool subsidies clear major legislative hurdle

A bill to greatly expand access to preschool for Hawaii children by making more and larger state subsidies available, and by allowing families with children as young as 3 to apply, has passed its last major hurdle at the state Legislature.

House Bill 961, Conference Draft 1 — a key component of the Ready Keiki initiative led by Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke to expand preschool access for all Hawaii 3- and 4-year-olds by 2032 — was passed unanimously Wednesday by House and Senate conferees.

Currently, the state’s Preschool Open Doors subsidy program, for families earning 250% of the federal poverty guideline and below, serves about 1,400 4-year-olds. It provides subsidies of approximately $600 to $900 per month, depending on a family’s income, that families may use to pay for private preschool.

Under HB 961, which is accompanied by $38.8 million in the state budget, the number of children served would grow to about 4,000, with families of qualifying 3-year-olds also able to receive Preschool Open Doors subsidies.

The subsidy range also would increase, to about $1,200 to $1,500 per month.

The expansion targets families applying starting in early 2024, for the 2024-2025 school year.

“Ready Keiki is a way to re-imagine education in our state and expand access so that all local families have the opportunity to benefit from early learning,” Luke said in a statement.

The measure will require a final vote on the floor in both House and Senate chambers before being sent to Gov. Josh Green.

The multipart Ready Keiki initiative also aims to create 465 public preschool classrooms by 2032 among its strategies.

Currently, only a little more than half of the state’s 35,272 children ages 3 and 4 are being served in prekindergarten classrooms, according to Luke’s office. About 95% of those keiki in programs are at licensed private prekindergarten institutions.

Meanwhile, no-cost entry into public preschool seats are hard to get: About 900 children are served at public preschools run by the state Executive Office on Early Learning and public charter schools.

With about 20% of children typically opting out of preschool, that leaves an estimated 9,297 of Hawaii’s preschool-age children underserved.