Bill > HB287

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to replace Hawaii's current single statewide appointed Board of Education with five elected school boards: one statewide board and four county-specific boards. The statewide board would be composed of members who can reside anywhere in Hawaii, while the four county boards would each cover a specific county area and be divided into departmental school districts, with at least one board member residing in each departmental district. Board members would be elected in a nonpartisan manner by qualified voters and would be limited to serving no more than twelve years in their lifetime. The bill argues that this decentralization will improve educational outcomes by allowing more local control, flexibility in teaching approaches, and the ability to address unique district-specific educational needs. Currently, Hawaii is the only state with a fully centralized school system, which the legislature believes limits pedagogical innovation and fails to accommodate individual learning styles. If approved, the amendment would transition from the current appointed board system to the new elected board structure, with the specific implementation details to be determined by law.

Education

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=287&year=2026