Hawaii’s public school enrollment decreased during the pandemic
Public school enrollment in Hawaii decreased during the pandemic, and the students who left don’t seem to be coming back, according to a new report.
The report released this week by National Alliance for Public Charter Schools found Hawaii public schools saw enrollment drop by 4.75% from 2019 to 2022. Meanwhile, charter schools experienced a 1.85% enrollment increase.
“The first full school year of the pandemic was a turbulent time for public school enrollment,” wrote the authors “But what happened during the second school year of the pandemic? The quick answer is that enrollment numbers basically stayed put. It seems most of those who left their district schools in the prior school year didn’t return, even after schools reopened, in-person instruction resumed, and the nation settled into the reality that COVID is not something that will be going away quickly.”
