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Preschools

Summary of Pre-K Movement

Access to affordable and high-quality early child care and education is vital to the well-being of children, families, and the community. Benefits associated with high-quality early child care and education include increased achievement test scores, high school graduation, college enrollment, and reduced risk factors, such as the negative impacts of poverty and delinquency.

Currently, the challenges Hawaii families face in accessing childcare services consist of costs, lack of available seats, physical access (e.g., distance), and lack of quality programs. To address some of these barriers, the Hawaii State Legislators, local and State agencies, and community-based non-private and private programs have joined forces to promote and improve the early learning and pre-kindergarten movement.

Close-up of a Child Playing with a Toy
Fern Elementary

The Role of the Hawaii School Facilities Authority in Hawaii’s Pre-K Expansion Plan

In partnership with Lieutenant Governor Office Ready Keiki Initiative and the Executive Office on Early Learning (EOEL), the Hawaii School Facilities Authority (SFA) is assisting the Hawaii State efforts in expanding the number of pre-kindergarten programs to 405 by 2032 (goal as of September 2023). The HISFA is committed to achieving this goal through three development pathways:

  • Pathway 1: Converting underutilized classrooms on existing public school sites.
  • Pathway 2: Renovating underutilized state-owned facilities like libraries or office buildings into dedicated pre-kindergarten facilities (‘Pre-kindergarten Learning Hubs’).
  • Pathway 3: Constructing new pre-kindergarten facilities.

Project Updates

More Information Coming Soon!