SB1181

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1181
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IMMERSION EDUCATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the "Ewa Moku Kula Kaiapuni Act of 2025".

SECTION 2. The legislature recognizes that Article X, section 4 of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii requires the State to "promote the study of Hawaiian culture, history and language", and imposes on the State a duty to "provide for a Hawaiian education program consisting of language, culture and history in the public schools".

The legislature also recognizes that the Ewa district of Oahu is experiencing a significant growth in its population, but lacks a permanent Hawaiian language immersion school that serves students in grades kindergarten through twelve. However, the vision of the Ewa Moku education movement is to establish, by the 2028-2029 school year, a self-contained Kula Kaiapuni Hawaiian language immersion school in Kapolei that serves students in those grades. The school would help meet the growing need and demand for Hawaiian language immersion education in the Ewa District and the neighboring moku of Waianae and Waialua. This goal is not unattainable, as evidenced by the Campbell-Kapolei complex area superintendent's 2022 verbal commitment to the Education Ewa Moku Hui Makua to create such a school within five to seven years.

The purpose of this Act is to fulfill the State's constitutional obligation to provide students with Hawaiian language education programs by:

(1) Requiring the department of education to implement a plan for a Kula Kaiapuni in Kapolei that shall be ready to educate students in grades kindergarten through twelve by the 2028-2029 school year; and

(2) Appropriate moneys to the department of education for the Kula Kaiapuni.

SECTION 2. (a) The department of education shall implement a plan pursuant to this section for a Kula Kaiapuni in Kapolei that shall be ready to educate students in grades kindergarten through twelve by the 2028-2029 school year.

(b) For the 2025-2026 school year, the department of education shall:

(1) Secure a temporary site for students of the Kula Kaiapuni in Kapolei to be placed as follows:

(A) Elementary: Grades kindergarten (Papa Malaao) through 1 (Papa Ekahi); and

(B) Secondary: Grades 7 through 9; and

(2) Allocate administrative and teaching positions to support school operations based on enrollment numbers of current and potential kaiapuni students that live in the Ewa, Waialua, and Waianae land districts for the grades included in paragraph (1).

(c) For the 2026-2027, 2027-2028, and 2028-2029 school years, the department shall continue the allocation of administrative and teaching positions and per-pupil funding to support school operations based on enrollment numbers of current and potential Kula Kaiapuni students that live in the Ewa, Waialua, and Waianae land districts; provided that the addition of students in other grades shall occur as follows:

(1) For the 2026-2027 school year:

(A) Elementary: Grades 2 (Papa Elua) and 3 (Papa Ekolu); and

(B) Secondary: Grade 10;

(2) For the 2027-2028 school year:

(A) Elementary: Grades 4 (Papa Eha) and 5 (Papa Elima); and

(B) Secondary: Grade 11; and

(3) For the 2028-2029 school year:

(A) Elementary: Grade 6 (Papa Eono); and

(B) Secondary: Grade 12 (Umikumalua).

(d) For subsequent school years, the department of education shall maintain or increase funding allocation based on current student enrollment numbers.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the purposes of section 2 of this Act.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

INTRODUCED BY:

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