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HB287 • 2026

PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO ARTICLE X, SECTION 2 AND ARTICLE XVIII, SECTION 12, OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF HAWAII TO ESTABLISH LOCAL ELECTED SCHOOL BOARDS.

PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO ARTICLE X, SECTION 2 AND ARTICLE XVIII, SECTION 12, OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF HAWAII TO ESTABLISH LOCAL ELECTED SCHOOL BOARDS.

Education Elections
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
REYES ODA, ALCOS, GARCIA, MATSUMOTO, MURAOKA, PIERICK, SHIMIZU, WARD
Last action
2025-12-08
Official status
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included specific details about five local boards which are not explicitly stated in the official source material.

Proposing Local Elected School Boards in Hawaii

This bill proposes changing the current single statewide school board to multiple local elected school boards, with members serving no more than twelve years.

What This Bill Does

  • Amends Article X, Section 2 of the Hawaii Constitution to establish five local school boards instead of one statewide board.
  • Changes Article XVIII, Section 12 to outline a transition period from appointed to elected school board members.
  • Requires that each county in Hawaii has its own school board with at least one member residing and representing each departmental district within the county.
  • Limits any individual's service on a local school board to twelve years total throughout their lifetime.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Voters who will elect members of the new local school boards.
  • Current and future members of the Hawaii Board of Education.
  • School districts in each county of Hawaii.

Terms To Know

Constitutional Amendment
A change to a state or country's constitution that requires special procedures for approval, such as voter referendum.
Departmental School Districts
Smaller areas within counties where at least one member of the local school board must reside and represent.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how long the transition period from appointed to elected boards will be.
  • It is unclear what specific regulations or guidelines would apply to these new local school boards beyond their election process and term limits.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-08 D

    Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.

  2. 2025-01-21 H

    Referred to EDN, JHA, FIN, referral sheet 1

  3. 2025-01-17 H

    Introduced and Pass First Reading.

  4. 2025-01-16 H

    Pending introduction.

Official Summary Text

PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO ARTICLE X, SECTION 2 AND ARTICLE XVIII, SECTION 12, OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF HAWAII TO ESTABLISH LOCAL ELECTED SCHOOL BOARDS.
Constitutional Amendment; Elected School Boards; Minority Caucus Package (ConAm)
Proposes a constitutional amendment that would establish local school boards throughout the State to be elected by the voters and to serve no more than twelve years as a member.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
HB287

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

287

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

proposing
amendments to article x, section 2 and article xviii, section 12, of the
constitution of the state of hawaii to establish local elected school boards
.

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

����
SECTION
1.
�
The legislature finds
that Hawaii is the only state in the nation where a single department of
education and a single statewide board run all public schools.
�
This centralized school system � a holdover
from the plantation era - comes with several drawbacks.
�
Every public school is required to follow the
same set of state regulations, guidelines, and testing apparatus.
�
This system leaves little room for flexibility
in introducing new training approaches or trying new instructional programming.

�
As a result, teachers are unable to adjust
pedagogy to individual learning styles.

The
legislature finds that entrusting the governance of public schools to their
communities to oversee local school districts results in a well-functioning
education system.
�
Additionally, elected
board members can address the unique education-related needs of their
respective districts for better tailored improvements in public education.
�
Decentralization in education significantly improves
repetition rates, dropout rates, graduation rates, and test scores.
�
Localized school boards serve as the
community�s voice and directly address the distinct needs of each district.
�
Focused efforts on the school-level translates
to overall improved student achievement.

The
purpose of this Act is to amend the Constitution of the State of Hawaii to
provide for multiple, local school boards, that are populated with elected
board members, serving no more than twelve years as a member, in place of the
current Board of Education.

����
SECTION 2.
�
Article X, section 2, of the Hawaii
Constitution is amended to read as follows:

"
BOARD OF EDUCATION

����
Section
2.
�
There shall be [
a
]
five

[
board
]
boards
of education[
.
�

The governor shall nominate and, by and with the advice and consent of
the senate, appoint the members of the board of education, as provided by law.
]

composed of members who shall be elected in a nonpartisan manner by
qualified voters, as provided by law.
�
No
person shall serve as a member for more than twelve years in their
lifetime.
�
One board shall cover the
entire state and be composed of members who reside anywhere within the
state.
�
The four other boards shall each
cover one county area.
�
Each county
school board district shall be divided into departmental school districts, as
may be provided by law.
�
There
shall be at least one member residing in each departmental school district for
the county-specific boards of education.
"

����
SECTION 3.
�
Article XVIII, section 12, of the Hawaii
Constitution is amended to read as follows:

"
BOARD
OF EDUCATION TRANSITION

����
Section 12.
�
There shall be a period of transition from
the [
elected
]
appointed
to the [
appointed
]
elected

[
board
]
boards
of education, as provided by law."

����
SECTION 4.
�
The question to be printed on the ballot
shall be as follows:

����
"Shall the
Board of Education be changed from a single board appointed by the governor to
one statewide board and four countywide boards elected by the qualified voters
of the State, serving no more than twelve years as a member, as provided by
law?"

����
SECTION 5.
�
Constitutional material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New
constitutional material is underscored.

����
SECTION 6.
�
This amendment shall take effect upon
compliance with article XVII, section 3, of the Constitution of the State of
Hawaii.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Constitutional
Amendment; Elected School Boards; Minority Caucus Package

Description:

Proposes
a constitutional amendment that would establish local school boards throughout
the State to be elected by the voters and to serve
no more than twelve
years as a member
.

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