Hawaii

School Choice Policies

Charter School Choice

Does the state have charter schools?

Yes-

Chapter 302D Public Charter Schools

Are for-profit charter schools or management companies allowed?

Did not find

Is there a cap on the number of charter schools?

Did not find-

We did not find information about caps on charter schools in Hawaii statutes. A Hawaii policy expert indicated that Hawaii does not have caps on charter schools. Education Commission of the States states that Hawaii does not have caps on charter schools.

Education Commission of the States 50-State Comparison

Are charters required to provide transportation for any students?

Did not find-

We did not find information about charter school transportation requirements in Hawaii statutes. A Hawaii policy expert indicated that there is no statutory requirement for charter schools to provide transportation to charter students in Hawaii. Education Commission of the States states that Hawaii does not specify who must provide transportation to charter school students.

Education Commission of the States 50-State Comparison

Can charter schools employ uncertified teachers?

Yes-

Charters must hire licensed teachers to teach in their fields of licensing. However, charters may hire unlicensed teachers in "emergency situations" on a case-by-case basis.

302A-804(b)(1&3) Powers and duties of the department, commission, and charter schools

Virtual School Choice

Do state statutes allow for full-time virtual schools?

Unclear-

Charter schools have "flexibility and independent authority to implement alternative frameworks with regard to ... virtual education." Therefore, the definition of a charter school includes virtual instruction as a potential alternative framework for charters. We did not find explicit mention that virtual charter schools can be full-time; however, a policy expert in Hawaii indicated that Hawaii does allow for full-time virtual schools.

302D-1 (2)

Are virtual schools required to track attendance?

Did not find-

We did not find information about virtual school attendance tracking requirements in Hawaii statutes. However, a Hawaii policy expert stated all schools, including virtual and blended programs, must track attendance.

Do virtual schools have to comply with state teacher certification requirements?

Did not find-

We did not find information about virtual school teacher certification requirements in Hawaii statutes. A Hawaii policy expert stated that virtual program teachers who are delivering direct instruction must be licensed.

Private School Choice

Does the state have voucher programs?

No-

No voucher programs found.

EdChoice School Choice in America

Does the state have educational expense tuition tax credits or deductions?

No-

No educational expense tax credits or deductions found.

EdChoice School Choice in America

Can students use vouchers to attend religious schools?

Not Applicable

Is there a cap on the number of students or private schools participating in voucher programs?

Not Applicable

Are voucher students in private schools required to take any standardized tests?

Not Applicable

Can private schools be removed from voucher programs based on performance?

Not Applicable

Are private schools in voucher programs required to provide transportation?

Not Applicable

Interdistrict School Choice

Does the state have interdistrict choice programs?

Not Applicable-

Not applicable as Hawaii has a statewide school district.

302A-110 - Definitions

Are receiving schools or districts required to provide transportation to any students?

Not Applicable

Page last updated: July 2024

Click here to download the State Policy Spreadsheet. Click here to download the State Policy Map Data Memo.

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The State Policy Map provides a snapshot of school choice policy found in laws passed by the legislative bodies, for all 50 states and Washington, D.C., based on information gathered from state statutes in fall 2019; data checks continued through December 2020. Information on this site may not include the most up-to-date policy information. The State Policy Map does not systematically reflect state Department of Education administrative policies, rules, or regulations. All content on this site is provided for informational purposes only. Links to third-party websites are for the user’s convenience; neither REACH nor any affiliated entities endorse the contents of third-party sites.

Note: On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Montana's exclusion of religious schools from the state's tax credit scholarship program was unconstitutional (Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue 591). The responses to the question "Can students use vouchers to attend religious schools?" were collected before this ruling and therefore do not reflect any changes resulting from the Espinoza decision.