The state’s Ready Keiki program, launched in January 2023 with a $200 million budget, aims to build 450 public preschool classrooms by 2032. However, as of now, only three classrooms have been established on Kauaʻi.
Kilauea Elementary School was among the first 11 schools across the state to open preschool classrooms in August 2023, providing space for 20 students each. This year, the state added 44 more classrooms. Kauaʻi’s Kapaʻa Elementary School added two classrooms, while the majority of new classrooms were located on Oʻahu.
Last week, the Kauaʻi County Council received an update on the program from Alanna Bauman, an early childhood education system coordinator with the Kauaʻi Planning and Action Alliance, and Cheri Nakamura, a program and policy officer for the Hawai‘i School Facilities Authority.
Currently, there are only 18,487 preschool seats available for the 33,224 3- and 4-year-olds in Hawaiʻi. Bauman explained that with around 20% of parents opting out of preschool, this still leaves 8,092 children without access to preschool education.
The Ready Keiki program, initiated by Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, opened 44 new classrooms this school year, with 31 located on Oʻahu, where most of the state’s preschool population resides. The remaining classrooms were divided among five other islands: Hawaiʻi Island received five, Maui four, Kauaʻi two, and Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi one each.
Council Chair Mel Rapozo expressed concern about the imbalance, noting that Oʻahu holds around 70% of the classrooms. “When I look at that slide, it’s very evident that Kauaʻi, Lanaʻi, Molokaʻi … we just have very minimal classrooms. So what is the plan for Kauaʻi?” he asked.
Nakamura acknowledged the Oʻahu-centric focus, attributing it to the island’s larger population. However, she noted there are still areas of need on Oʻahu, as well as Kauaʻi. According to their supply-demand analysis, Kauaʻi requires more preschool capacity in Līhuʻe, Kapaʻa, and Kōloa.
Efforts are underway to expand the preschool teaching workforce through initiatives that offer free early childhood courses to students within the University of Hawai’i system, including community colleges, with the expectation that they will enter the field upon completion.
Bauman also highlighted state funding for private preschools, including the Preschool Open Doors subsidy, which helps reduce tuition costs for parents. She mentioned the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant, which provides additional financial support for low-income families and states.
To accommodate further expansion, Nakamura explained that funds have been allocated for facilities, including the use of public buildings not managed by the state Department of Education. “We are entertaining ideas and discussions with entities on Kauaʻi,” she said.
Council member Ross Kagawa pointed to a local effort to repurpose the old Big Save building in Lihuʻe, which has been vacant for over a decade. The county plans to renovate the 25,000-square-foot space for child care, early childhood education, and youth programs. The $7.1 million project, funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act, is expected to be completed in 2025.
Kagawa emphasized the budgetary challenges the county faces, saying that funding early childhood education would require cuts to other services. “We already have the largest budget in the history of Kaua’i County. And going into an endeavor like that would mean having to cut something,” he said.
Rapozo agreed, stating that providing child care is not the county’s role. “I just don’t believe the county’s function is to provide that. And I don’t think the county is in any position or has any capacity to provide those kinds of services,” he said. He urged that state funding be distributed equally among the islands, adding, “Right now, we’re not.”
Rapozo suggested that the Big Save facility should be considered as part of the Ready Keiki initiative, noting that it would serve as a public space for children in the Lihuʻe area.
Other council members, including Bernard Carvalho, stressed the importance of supporting early childhood care efforts and collaborating with others to secure funding for preschool programs. “Whatever we can do to support the effort and continue supporting the effort is important,” Carvalho said.
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