Ready Keiki celebrates expansion of public charter preschool classrooms

Wai‘alae Elementary Public Charter School in Kaimukī has expanded its preschool program with the opening of a new pre-K classroom for the 2025–26 school year. The addition doubles the school’s available pre-K seats from 20 to 40. This opening also marks the first preschool classroom renovation at an existing charter school under the state’s Ready Keiki plan—an initiative launched in January 2023 to expand universal access to preschool for all Hawaiʻi 3- and 4-year-olds.

This pre-K expansion represents a major milestone in the state’s efforts to increase early learning opportunities in Hawaiʻi’s public charter schools. Waiʻalae’s new classroom, renovated from an existing space, will help the school better meet demand from its substantial waitlist. 

“When we first launched Ready Keiki in 2023, I met with Waiʻalae Elementary and heard firsthand about their long preschool waitlist. With this expansion, they’ve doubled their available seats—serving more keiki and supporting more families. This is what Ready Keiki is all about,” said Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, who leads the initiative. “It’s about listening to our communities, building strong partnerships, and delivering real results to make universal access to pre-K a reality.”

The school began the 2024–25 school year with a preschool waitlist of 90 families. With this expansion of its preschool program and the opening of additional public preschool classrooms in the district, that number has decreased to 38. Renovation plans are already underway to add additional preschool classrooms and expand the outdoor covered play and learning area by the 2026–27 school year.

Wai‘alae Elementary Public Charter School has a long track record of being at the forefront of innovative learning. This year marks the school’s 30th anniversary of becoming Hawai‘i’s first student-centered school, following a 1995 memorandum of understanding with the Hawaiʻi Department of Education.

“We’ve long had a waitlist for preschool, and we remain committed to supporting families who deserve access to high-quality and affordable early learning for their keiki,” said Kawika Chun, Head of School for Waiʻalae Elementary Public Charter School. “We’re proud to be part of the state’s efforts to expand pre-K access and create more opportunities for young learners. These newly renovated classrooms will provide a welcoming space for discovery, growth, and a strong start to their educational journey.”

The new classroom was built by the School Facilities Authority (SFA), the state entity charged by the Hawai‘i State Legislature to develop school facilities in the most efficient, cost-effective manner to meet the needs of communities across the state. The project began on June 4, 2025, and was completed in just seven weeks—marking SFA’s first preschool renovation in partnership with the Charter School Commission.

“Our team at the School Facilities Authority is committed to building contemporary learning environments in the most thoughtful and cost-effective way,” said Riki Fujitani, SFA executive director. “We’re proud to support the state’s efforts to expand pre-K access, and we’re grateful for the collaboration with Lieutenant Governor Luke, the Charter School Commission, and the Wai‘alae Elementary team. Their partnership has been instrumental in bringing this vision to life for Hawai‘i’s keiki.”

The project team also included Bowers + Kubota Consulting and Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. While classroom renovations were initially projected to cost $1 million per classroom, SFA renovated three classrooms at a total cost of $700,000—including the new pre-K space. They used the same classroom specifications and resources as those used for prior Ready Keiki classrooms built for the Department of Education’s Executive Office on Early Learning Public Prekindergarten Program, maintaining the commitment to completing classrooms under budget and ahead of schedule. 

Ready Keiki continues to support the expansion of charter pre-K classrooms across the state, including the Parkway Village Preschool in Kapolei.

Student and family orientation for the new preschool classroom at Waiʻalae Elementary Public Charter School will begin the week of Aug. 11, 2025. The phased transition allows teachers to build relationships with students and their families and helps ensure a smoother start to the school year. Families interested in enrolling can find more information and application details at waialae.edu/admissions#pre-k.