Maui’s keiki get a boost: Six new public preschools opening this August
Six new, public preschool classrooms will open in Maui County this fall for the 2024-2025 school year, announced Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke and the state’s Ready Keiki Initiative on Friday. The pre-K schools enroll 20 students per classroom at no cost to parents.
The new Maui County classrooms will be at:
- Haʻikū Elementary School
- Kīhei Elementary School
- Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary School
- Wailuku Elementary School
- Maunaloa Elementary School (Molokaʻi)
- Lāna‘i High & Elementary School
Wailuku Elementary will add a second pre-K classroom, increasing its student capacity to 40. For the first time, Maui’s north shore, South Maui and West Molokaʻi will have access to free public preschools.
This announcement, made Friday at Kūhiō Elementary School by Lt. Gov. Luke, marks a historic expansion of 44 new classrooms statewide, adding 820 seats to the state’s public pre-K inventory, and bringing its total to 1,767. Last year, 11 classrooms were opened under budget and ahead of schedule.
“This is the most public preschools the state has ever opened in one year. It’s a testament to the need for early learning opportunities across our state to ensure that every child can be ready for their future. The 820 pre-K seats being added this year is just one step in our continuous work to ensure that every keiki, now and in the future, has the tools and learning opportunities to succeed.”
Lt. Gov. Luke
Executive Office on Early Learning Director Yuuko Arikawa-Cross has been leading the effort to expand the state’s Public Pre-K Program. “This expansion reflects our commitment to providing early learning opportunities to all children in Hawaiʻi,” she said. “We are dedicated to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for every child.”
Highlights of the 2024-2025 school year include:
- 34 of the 44 new classrooms will open at Title I schools.
- The first Early Learning Hawaiian Language Public Pre-K classrooms will open at Blanche Pope and Lānaʻi High & Elementary School.
- Three of the 11 sites that opened last year are adding additional classrooms due to continued interest: Blanche Pope, Honowai and Wailuku.
- First public preschool classrooms in Kāne‘ohe, Pearl City, Makakilo, South Maui, north shore Maui and West Molokaʻi.
- The ‘Aiea-Moanalua-Radford complex area will increase from one to five classrooms.
- Up to 160 seats will be nearby or along the commute route to Honolulu’s working areas.
To view all Ready Keiki public preschools, visit readykeiki.org/map
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