An independent commission will recommend public school consolidations, realignments and closures now that Gov. Josh Green has signed into law a bill creating the panel after previously placing the measure on his intent-to-veto list.
House Bill 2344 establishes a temporary, nine-member Public School Realignment and Closure Commission modeled after the federal Base Realignment and Closure process used to evaluate military bases.
When Green released his intent-to-veto list in late June, he said the bill would create unnecessary duplication.
“The amendments would establish requirements for matters that are already within the authority and responsibility of the Board of Education and the Department of Education,” Green wrote in his veto rationale. “These changes may create duplicative processes and administrative burdens without providing a clear benefit. Further review is warranted to determine whether the measure’s objectives can be achieved through existing authorities and practices.”
Despite those concerns, Green ultimately allowed the measure to become law.
Green’s senior adviser, Will Kane, said the governor supports conducting an objective review of Hawaii’s school capacity and facilities to help determine how best to meet the needs of communities.
“Act 264 sets up a process that will make the necessary determinations,” Kane said. “Whether Governor Green agrees or not is not an issue, as the law does not allow the governor, the Legislature or anyone else to change the decisions made by the commission. We look forward to the work that the commission will do to support Hawaii’s schools.”
The Legislature argued the commission is needed as Hawaii confronts long-term enrollment declines and aging school infrastructure.
Lawmakers cited projections from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education showing Hawaii is expected to experience the nation’s steepest decline in high school graduates over the next 16 years. While statewide public school enrollment is roughly the same as it was in 1961, lawmakers noted the number of public schools has grown by about 20%, leaving some campuses underused.
The law states that decades of declining enrollment have created operational inefficiencies that divert resources from student learning and facility improvements, while previous attempts to consolidate schools have often stalled because of political opposition.
Under the new law, the commission will review public school facilities statewide using criteria including enrollment trends, building conditions, maintenance backlogs, operating costs, school capacity, geographic access, equity impacts and the feasibility of transitioning students and staff.
The commission will consist of nine members, including seven voting members appointed by the governor and legislative leaders, along with the state comptroller and superintendent of education serving as nonvoting members. Voting members must have expertise in areas such as public finance, urban planning, education administration, facilities management or real estate, and cannot be current elected officials, lobbyists or employees of the DOE, BOE or School Facilities Authority.
The commission must hold public hearings in every county before issuing its final recommendations by Oct. 1, 2028.
One of the measure’s most significant provisions makes the commission’s recommendations binding upon submission of its final report. Both the BOE and DOE would then be required to implement approved consolidations, realignments or closures by Oct. 1, 2029.
The law appropriates $150,000 for the commission’s operations during fiscal year 2026-27.
DOE did not oppose the concept of school consolidation during legislative testimony but cautioned lawmakers that declining enrollment is only part of the picture.
The department said while statewide enrollment has been falling by about 1% annually, some communities continue to experience rapid growth and
face classroom capacity shortages.
“School consolidation is not just about closure; it is a tool for the strategic reallocation of resources to where students are currently moving,” DOE Superintendent Keith Hayashi wrote.
DOE officials also emphasized that many schools now use classrooms for services beyond traditional instruction, including career and technical education, family resource centers, health clinics and food pantries. The department urged lawmakers to ensure student learning and equity remain central to any consolidation decisions.
The department also raised concerns about the original implementation timeline, saying additional time could be necessary to transition students, comply with collective bargaining agreements and provide adequate notice to families and employees.
State law already authorizes the Board of Education to open and close schools under existing administrative rules, and the department said it has been developing its own consolidation framework through stakeholder engagement that began in 2024.
Officials said community feedback consistently
emphasized allowing sufficient transition time, preserving school identity after closures and recognizing that enrollment trends vary significantly across the state, with some schools remaining overcrowded despite overall statewide declines.
