For the third consecutive year, charter schools in Hawaiʻi have seen steady growth in student enrollment. The Hawaiʻi Department of Education released its official enrollment figures for the 2024-2025 school year on October 25, showing a total of 165,340 students enrolled in public schools statewide, a slight 1.4% decrease from last year’s total of 167,649 students.

In contrast, charter school enrollment has continued to rise, increasing by 5% from last year. Currently, 13,070 students are enrolled in Kindergarten through 12th grade across 38 charter schools on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi, Maui, and Molokaʻi. This marks an increase of 643 students, or a 5.17% rise from the previous year’s enrollment of 12,427 students. Last year’s numbers also showed an upward trend, with a 2.57% increase from the 2022-2023 school year, when charter schools enrolled 12,116 students—an increase of 311 students.

Charter school pre-K programs have also seen steady growth. Currently, 287 students are enrolled in charter pre-K programs, reflecting a 10% increase from the previous year’s 261 students. During the 2022-2023 school year, enrollment in charter pre-K saw a 21% increase, growing from 203 in 2021-2022 to 246 students in 2022-2023. The Pre-K enrollment numbers will be going up in January as a new Pre-K only charter school will be opening in Kapolei, with four new classrooms serving up to 80 keiki.

The consistent growth in both K-12 and pre-K charter enrollment highlights the increasing appeal of charter schools in Hawaiʻi, where families are seeking diverse and innovative educational options for their children.