Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	181
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING the department of education to convene a shared-decision making committee to develop an action plan to establish a k-12 kaiapuni school in Kapolei.

WHEREAS, the State has a duty to ensure access to lelo Hawai i education pursuant to article X, section 4, of the Constitution of the State of Hawai i, which requires the State to "promote the study of Hawaiian culture, history, and language"; and

WHEREAS, the establishment of Kaiapuni schools, or Hawaiian language immersion schools, which educate in lelo Hawai i, is one way the State is intentionally adhering to its constitutional obligations and fulfilling its commitment to preserving Hawaiian language for future generations; and

WHEREAS, accordingly, the Board of Education is implementing a Kaiapuni Strategic Plan to grow Kaiapuni programs to meet demand and expand access across the State; and

WHEREAS, there are only three Kaiapuni schools on O ahu that serve students in grades kindergarten through twelve, Ke Kula Kaiapuni O P hala and Ke Kula O Samuel M. Kamakau in K ne ohe and Ke Kula Kaiapuni O nuenue in Honolulu; and

WHEREAS, Kapolei High School currently only offers Kaiapuni education for grade nine, and Kapolei Middle School only offers Kaiapuni education for grades seven and eight; and

WHEREAS, many students in the Ewa land district and the surrounding land districts of Wai anae and Waialua are forced to commute to Honolulu to pursue Kaiapuni education; and

WHEREAS, forty-two percent of Ke Kula Kaiapuni O nuenue students who travel to school come from the Ewa and Wai anae areas; and

WHEREAS, this creates significant barriers for students in continuing Hawaiian language education and leaves many students who reside outside of Honolulu without a clear pathway to continue their Kaiapuni education cohesively and throughout high school; and

WHEREAS, the neighborhood boards of Pearl City, Makakilo/Kapolei/Honokai Hale, and Ewa have all adopted resolutions in support of establishing a K-12 self-contained Hawaiian immersion school in Kapolei; and

WHEREAS, a shared decision-making committee is a collaborative process where stakeholders collectively make decisions and facilitate planning; and

WHEREAS, establishing a shared decision-making committee comprised of Hawaiian immersion educators, community members, parents, and administrators will facilitate effective action planning and resource allocation as well as ensure the K-12 Kaiapuni in Kapolei meets the unique needs of current and future students; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Education is requested to convene a shared decision-making committee to develop an action plan to establish a K-12 Kaiapuni school in Kapolei; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the shared decision-making committee is requested to consist of eleven members, serving for two-year terms, as follows:

(1) The Superintendent of Education, or the Superintendent's designee;

(2) Principals from relevant middle schools and high schools, such as Kapolei Middle School and Kapolei High School, or their designees;

(3) Three current Kaiapuni teachers from schools such as:

(A) Kapolei Middle School;

(B) Kapolei High School; and

(4) The Dual Chancellor for Leeward Community College and the University of Hawai i-West O ahu, or the Chancellor's designee;

(5) A professor or administrator from either Leedward Community College or the University of Hawai i-West O ahu with experience in education and teacher training; and

(6) Three community members as follows:

(A) Two members of relevant community-based, school-based, or cultural nonprofit organizations; and

(B) One parent of a current student of Ke Kula Kaiapuni O Kapolei; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the action plan is requested to outline goals, objectives, and strategies necessary to achieve a new Kaiapuni K-12 school in Kapolei, including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) Facility planning and site selection;

(2) Kumu Kaiapuni recruitment and retention;

(3) Curriculum and instruction planning;

(4) Resource allocation policies;

(5) Recommendations to the Department of Education to standardize, streamline, and facilitate the establishment or expansion of new or existing Kaiapuni schools statewide; and

(6) Any additional policies as determined by the shared decision-making committee; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the action plan is requested to include a process for phasing in Kaiapuni education by:

(1) Securing a permanent site for a K-12 Kaiapuni school in Kapolei to be used by kindergarten, first, and second grades by the 2027-2028 school year;

(2) Integrating grades three, four, five, and six by the 2028-2029 school year; and

(3) Integrating middle school and high school students once all other grades are phased in; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to allocate four faculty positions and one administrative position to support Kaiapuni education in the 2027-2028 school year and additional faculty and administrative positions in the following school years based on enrollment numbers of current and potential Kaiapuni students that live in the Ewa, Waialua, and Wai anae land districts; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the decision-making committee is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2027; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Education; Superintendent of Education; Dual Chancellor for Leeward Community College and the University of Hawai i-West O ahu; and Campbell-Kapolei Complex Area Superintendent.