Why So Many Hawaii Families Are Opting Out Of The Public School System … Private school enrollment rose to 33,540 as of Oct. 1, compared with 31,987 in 2020-21, according to the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools.
Nearly two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, some Hawaii families who decided to pull their kids out of the public school system amid frustration over classroom closures and prolonged virtual learning are standing by their decision to turn to alternatives, despite the financial sacrifice.
Cherise Stalcup’s daughter was attending a Kaneohe elementary school when the school said at the start of the 2020-21 school year that it would continue with virtual learning for an indefinite period due to fears of coronavirus spread.
Stalcup withdrew her daughter from Kapunahala Elementary and enrolled her at the private Saint Mark Lutheran School, where tuition runs $955 a month, or about $9,500 annually.
