THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2181
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to education.

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that, according to education studies of public school performance across the United States, Hawaii student performance ranks in the middle or close to the bottom in comparison to other states. The State also requires fewer instructional hours at public schools.

The legislature also finds that low student performance is correlated with less time in the classroom. For example, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Rhode Island are the states with the fewest public school instructional hours while also having low student performance. States with higher performing public schools have higher instructional hours compared to Hawaii.

The legislature further finds that research shows expanding school instructional time can increase student achievement. Studies also show that students with more school days between assessments made larger achievement gains than peers with fewer days, reinforcing the link between instructional time and achievement.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to increase required public school instructional hours beginning with the 2027-2028 school year.

SECTION 2. Section 302A-251, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§302A-251 School year; student hours. (a) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, beginning with the 2011-2013 school years, all public schools, excluding charter schools and multi-track public schools, shall implement a school year of one hundred eighty days, excluding professional development days and other non-instructional days negotiated pursuant to chapter 89.

(b) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary:

(1) For the 2011-2012 school year, fifty per cent of all public elementary schools in the State, excluding charter schools and multi-track public schools, shall implement a school year that includes nine hundred fifteen student hours; and

(2) Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year, all public elementary schools in the State, excluding charter schools and multi-track public schools, shall implement a school year that includes nine hundred fifteen student hours.

(c) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, for the 2015-2016 school year, all public secondary schools, excluding charter schools and multi-track public schools, shall implement a school year that includes nine hundred ninety student hours.

(d) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, all public schools, excluding charter schools and multi-track public schools, shall implement a school year of one hundred eighty days, excluding professional development days and other non-instructional days negotiated pursuant to chapter 89, that shall include one thousand eighty student hours for both elementary and secondary school grades.

(e) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, all public schools, excluding charter schools and multi-track public schools, shall implement a school year of one hundred eighty days, excluding professional development days and other non-instructional days negotiated pursuant to chapter 89, that shall include one thousand two hundred student hours for both elementary and secondary school grades.

[(e)] (f) The board, in its discretion, may grant a waiver to any individual school subject to the student hours or one hundred eighty day school year requirements in this section. The board shall adopt policies and procedures to grant a waiver under this subsection.

[(f)] (g) For purposes of this section, "student hours" shall be inclusive of the full school day in alignment with the State's general learner outcomes.

[(g)] (h) The department of education, with the board of education and office of the governor, and in consultation with representatives of the affected collective bargaining units, shall submit to the legislature, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular sessions of 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016, a report on its progress and efforts to meet the requirements of subsections (a), (b), (c), and (d)."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Education; Instructional Hours; Student Performance; Student Improvement; Public Schools

Description:

Increases required public school instructional hours beginning in the 2027-2028 school year.

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