For the second consecutive year, less than a third of Hawaii’s students are deemed ready for kindergarten, according to recent data from the Hawaii Department of Education. Schools on the Big Island, Maui, and the west side of Oahu reported some of the lowest scores in the state.
The results come despite increased funding aimed at improving early education and kindergarten readiness. Early learning has been a top priority for the state, with lawmakers committed to providing preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds by 2032. In August, the Executive Office on Early Learning launched 44 new public preschool classrooms, with plans for 25 more next year. In 2022, the state invested $200 million in building additional preschool facilities and set aside $50 million in tuition subsidies for families enrolling children in private preschool programs.
Despite these efforts, experts say it’s too early to see a significant impact on kindergarten readiness. Staff shortages and limited availability of preschool spots mean that nearly half of Hawaii’s 3- and 4-year-olds are missing out on preschool. Advocates stress the need for more public preschools in low-income communities, alongside stronger support for families with infants and toddlers.
Kerrie Urosevich, executive director of Early Childhood Action Strategy, pointed to the inequitable access to early learning programs as a key issue. “I don’t feel that the results were surprising. We don’t have equitable access to early learning programs across the islands,” she said.
Wide Variation in Readiness
Hawaii’s Kindergarten Entry Assessment (KEA), introduced last year, tests students on skills such as letter and shape recognition, social skills, and fine motor abilities like using scissors. These foundational skills help children progress more quickly in school and achieve long-term goals, such as reading at grade level by third grade, said Teri Ushijima, Assistant Superintendent at the Department of Education.
The KEA also provides valuable insight into students’ strengths and areas for improvement, allowing teachers to tailor their instruction. Schools in Oahu’s Kaiser and Kalaheo complexes reported some of the highest readiness scores, while Waianae schools had the lowest, with only 11% of students demonstrating kindergarten readiness.
Maui’s Molokai and Lanai schools showed similarly poor results, with no complexes reporting readiness in key areas like math, literacy, social skills, or physical development.
Challenges Contributing to Low Readiness
Several factors contribute to the wide disparities in readiness scores. Urosevich explained that children from non-English-speaking homes may struggle with the literacy portion of the assessment, while families with limited resources may not have access to affordable preschool options. When parents work multiple jobs, they may have less time to support their children’s social and academic development.
Hawaii has made efforts to address this by adding public preschool classrooms in low-income areas, said Barbara DeBaryshe, interim director of the University of Hawaii’s Center on the Family. However, some areas, like Waianae and West Maui, still lack sufficient preschool access. The recent fires on Maui further reduced the number of available preschool providers in affected areas.
Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, who is overseeing Hawaii’s preschool expansion, said that data from the kindergarten assessment will help determine where additional preschool seats are needed.
Barriers to Expanding Preschool Access
Despite ongoing investment, staffing and funding challenges remain barriers to meeting the demand for preschool. Early childhood educators in Hawaii earn between $13 and $17 an hour, which makes it difficult to attract qualified teachers. Private providers, who rely on tuition fees, are also constrained by the high cost of education—Hawaii’s average preschool tuition rate for 4-year-olds exceeded $12,000 per year in 2020.
In addition to expanding preschool, DeBaryshe emphasized the importance of improving access to quality care for infants and toddlers, particularly for low-income families. Public preschool programs and tuition subsidies are typically available only for 3- and 4-year-olds, but families with younger children often struggle to afford care during the critical early years of development.
“It’s a great thing,” DeBaryshe said of the public preschool programs, “but it’s not a miracle or a silver bullet.”
Summer Programs as a Potential Solution
The Department of Education has also been exploring summer programs to help prepare students for kindergarten, especially those with little or no preschool experience. This summer, over 120 schools offered transition programs funded by federal Covid-relief dollars.
Ushijima noted that these summer programs give incoming kindergarteners the opportunity to familiarize themselves with school routines, meet their peers, and ease into the classroom environment. The federal funding for these programs expired this fall, but the DOE is requesting nearly $21 million from the state legislature to continue summer learning and transitional kindergarten programs in 2025.
At Kalihi Waena Elementary, Principal Daniel Larkin highlighted the importance of the summer program, noting that only 30% of incoming kindergarteners had preschool experience. “Since the pandemic, it’s especially important for students to socialize with their peers before starting school,” Larkin said. Even if state funding doesn’t materialize, he plans to continue the program using other school funds.
“We’re never planning on stopping,” he said.
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