RELATING TO HAWAIIAN LANGUAGE IMMERSION EDUCATION.

HB1242

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1242

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:

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

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SECTION
2.
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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".

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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

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

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(1)
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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

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

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SECTION
2.
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(a)
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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.

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

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

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

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(B)
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Secondary: Grades 7 through 9; and

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(2)
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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).

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(c)
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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:

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(1)
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For the 2026-2027 school year:

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

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(B)
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Secondary: Grade 10;

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(2)
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For the 2027-2028 school year:

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

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(B)
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Secondary: Grade 11; and

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(3)
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For the 2028-2029 school year:

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

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(B)
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Secondary: Grade 12 (Umikumalua).

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

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SECTION
3.
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There is appropriated out of the
general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $
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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.

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The sums

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

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

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

DOE;
Ewa
Moku Kula Kaiapuni; Hawaiian Immersion; Appropriations

Description:

Requires
the Department of Education to implement a plan for a Hawaiian language
immersion school in Kapolei that shall be ready to educate students in grades
kindergarten through 12 by the 2028-2029 school year.
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Appropriates moneys.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.