The latest schools and education news including coverage of the Hawaii Department of Education, the University of Hawaii system, national news and more.
Biden, who is in the midst of a three-day campaign swing through California, made the announcement as part of a new repayment plan that offers a faster path to forgiveness, putting the spotlight on his debt cancellation efforts in his reelection campaign. Read more
The proportion of U.S. jobs requiring postsecondary preparation continues to inch upward, and by 2031 in Hawaii, 70% of job openings will require some type of education and/or training beyond high school, says a report from researchers at Georgetown University. Read more
The Kaneohe Public Library will close temporarily for a construction project beginning Monday, but a pop-up site at Windward Mall will offer limited library services starting March 17, state officials have announced. Read more
The Colorado Springs Police Department didn’t identify the suspect, but have named the two victims, Celie Rain Montgomery, 26, and Samuel Knopp, 24, a student at the university about 69 miles (111 kilometers) south of Denver. Read more
The financial aid decisions that usually go out with acceptance letters are being delayed because of a later-than-expected rollout of a revised Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Read more
A group of Jewish students at the University of Hawaii have filed a Title VI complaint with the federal government claiming that words and acts of antisemitism have made the university’s Manoa campus an “unsafe and hostile environment” for them. Read more
A 56-second social-media video showing Mid-Pacific Institute students using hate speech and making references to various forms of sexual assault has led the administration to take disciplinary action, the school confirmed Friday. Read more
The findings are relevant as the Board of Regents ramps up its search for a successor to UH President David Lassner, who is retiring at the end of this year after more than a decade leading the 10-campus system. Read more
Supporters say moving construction back into the DOE’s purview is best for efficiency, and the School Facilities Authority has run out of political will. Read more
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Kaimiloa Elementary School counselor Shely Chang, who has helped lead her school’s efforts to combat chronic student absenteeism, has been named the 2024 American School Counselor Association’s Hawai‘i School Counselor of the Year. Read more
Students at Waipahu High School have shown a lot more interest in agricultural and environmental studies this year since the opening of a state-of-the-art learning center that incorporates the latest in technology and allows them to spread their wings. Read more
DOE officials said they previously relied on private philanthropic support to provide free school meals to all students and staff in need at the four Lahaina schools. Read more
Hawaii public school officials hope lawmakers will support their requests at the state Legislature for 20 full-time educational psychologists Read more
A measure to establish a “harm to students registry” of Hawaii school employees and volunteers found to have committed sexual abuse, physical assault or other harassment against children, and to revoke the teaching licenses of educators who resign or retire in lieu of termination, has been advanced by two state Senate committees. Read more
Toxicology results are pending, Hawaii island police said. Read more
Five students were suspended after the altercation, Hawaii island police said. Read more
The University of Hawaii is expected to announce today that it has selected a private developer to design, build, finance and operate a more than $100 million film and television production studio planned next door to UH West Oahu’s campus in Kapolei. Read more
State Sens. Donna Mercado Kim and Donovan Dela Cruz and other lawmakers have accused UH administrators of mismanaging the UH Manoa student housing operation, which earns $23 million a year, and houses and serves about 3,100 students. Read more
Families who earn too much to qualify for subsidized child care are now eligible for a program that has expanded from 4-year-olds to also include 3-year-olds, with increased subsidies. Read more
Gov. Josh Green and the state Legislature will have to figure out how to pay for an estimated $120 million to $150 million in retroactive hazard pay due to 7,800 unionized public workers who faced health risks at Hawaii public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more
A measure that would have Hawaii voters decide on whether residential investment property valued at $3 million or more should be subject to a surcharge in order to increase funding for local public education passed out of the state House Education Committee on Tuesday. Read more
