Public and charter school enrollments remain steady at 180,000 students statewide

Combined enrollment for grades K-12 declined by 486 students in School Year 2015-16, compared to the previous school year. The greatest enrollment changes were in Kindergarten and First Grade with a respective increase of 3,025 students and decrease of 4,076 students due to the prior year’s legislative change to the Kindergarten entry age.

News Release from Hawaii DoE 09-Oct-2015

​HONOLULU – Hawaii's public schools continued to enroll just over 180,000 students this year. The total enrollment for school year 2015-16 is 180,409 for the Hawaii State Department of Education's (HIDOE) 256 schools and 34 charter schools, compared with 180,895 in school year 2014-15, and 185,273 the year before that.

The greatest enrollment changes were in Kindergarten and First Grade with a respective increase of 3,025 students and decrease of 4,076 students due to the prior year’s legislative change to the Kindergarten entry age.

This year, HIDOE schools enrolled 169,987 students (down 495 from last year), and charter schools enrolled 10,422 (up 9 from last year); charter schools represent 5.8 percent of public school enrollment.

In 2015-16, the five largest DOE public schools by grade level are:

High Schools (all grades 9-12):

Campbell (3,049), Mililani (2,514), Waipahu (2,475), Farrington (2,376), Kapolei (2,038).

Intermediate (grades 7-8)/Middle (grades 6-8) Schools:

Mililani Middle (1,775), Kapolei Middle (1,394), Waipahu Intermediate (1,339), Maui Waena Intermediate (1,108), Kalakaua Middle and Kaimuki Middle (tied at 974).

Elementary Schools:

August Ahrens (1,291), Holomua (1,231), Ewa (1,086), Waipahu (1,078) and Maili (1,015).

The five smallest DOE schools in the state include:

Niihau (4, K-12), Hawaii School for the Deaf and the Blind (50, K-12), Maunaloa (60, K-6), Olomana (74, 7-12) and Kilohana (80, K-6),

The five largest charter schools are:

Hawaii Technology Academy (979, K-12), Kamaile Academy (910, K-12), Myron Thompson Academy (683, K-12), Ka Waihonua o ka Naauao (641, K-8), Hawaii Academy of Arts & Sciences (592, K-12).

The five smallest charter schools are:

Ke Ana Laahana (44, 7-12), Ke Kula Niihau o Kekaha (54, K-12), Kanaka (56, K-12), Malama Honua (63, K-2), Hakipuu Learning Center (66, 5-12).​

Over the next several years, HIDOE projects a stable enrollment rate due to birth rates.

LINK: View Report​  -- Download our speadsheet of the official public and charter school enrollment counts for 2015-16.​​

SA: Hawaii public school enrollment dips