Kauaʻi County Council hears update on Ready Keiki preschool initiative

The state Ready Keiki program that began in January 2023 with a $200 million appropriation and a goal to build 450 public preschool classrooms by 2032 so far has produced just three of those classrooms on Kauaʻi.

Kilauea Elementary School was among the first wave of 11 schools across the state that opened preschool classrooms, for 20 students each, in August 2023. And this year, the state added 44 more classrooms, with Kapaʻa Elementary School, the lone school on Kauaʻi, adding two classrooms.

The Kauaʻi County Council received this update about the program last week by Alanna Bauman, an early childhood education system coordinator for the Kauaʻi Planning and Action Alliance, and Cheri Nakamura, a program and policy officer for the Hawai‘i School Facilities Authority.

There are only 18,487 preschool seats available for the 33,224 3- and 4-year-olds in Hawaiʻi. But with an estimated 20% of parents choosing to opt out of sending their child to preschool, that leaves 8,092 children who are underserved by a preschool program in the state, Bauman said. 

This school year, the Ready Keiki program initiated by Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke opened 44 new classrooms, with 31 of them on Oʻahu where most of the state’s preschoolers live. The other 13 classrooms were divided on five other islands. Hawaiʻi Island added 5, Maui 4, Kaua’i two, and Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi one each.

Council Chair Mel Rapozo said he noticed that Oʻahu has about 70% of the classrooms: “When I look at that slide, it’s very evident that Kauaʻi, Lanaʻi, Molokai … we just have very minimal classrooms. So what is the plan for Kauaʻi?”

The plan does seem “Oʻahu centric, but Oʻahu has the bulk of the population,” Nakamura said.

She said there are still some areas of Oʻahu with a need, as well as areas on Kauaʻi. Their supply-demand analysis for Kauaʻi showed a need for additional capacity in Līhuʻe, Kapaʻa and Kōloa.

The state program also is working to expand the preschool teaching workforce through initiatives that allow any student within the University of Hawai’i system, including community colleges, to take early childhood courses free of charge.

“As long as they return that to the field,” Bauman said.

There also is state funding for private schools, including the Preschool Open Doors subsidy, which allows parents to apply for reduced preschool tuition. Bauman also mentioned the Child Care and Development Block Grant, a federal program that allows states and low-income families to apply for funding.

To continue to expand, Nakamura said funds have been appropriated for facilities, including public buildings outside of the state Department of Education.

“We are entertaining ideas and discussions with entities on Kauaʻi,” she said.

Council member Ross Kagawa referred to a local effort to restore the old Big Save in Lihuʻe, which has been vacant for more than a decade. The county announced in July that the 25,000-square-foot space would be renovated to provide child care, early childhood education and youth programs. The $7.1 million project, funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act, is expected to be completed in 2025.

Kagawa said if the county put its own budget into funding early childhood education, “something else would have to give.”

“We already have the largest budget in the history of Kaua’i County. And going into an endeavor like that would mean having to cut something,” he said.

Rapozo also referred to the Big Save renovation, saying the county’s job is not childcare.

“I just don’t believe the county’s function is to provide that. And I don’t think the county is in any position or has any capacity to provide those kind of services,” he said.

He referred to the funding from the State Legislature, saying he hopes Kauaʻi is given equal consideration to the other islands: “Right now, we’re not.”

“I’m hoping that that facility (Big Save) is on your vision board because I can tell you that there’s no way the county will be able to afford to operate daycare,” Rapozo said.

He said the program seems to align perfectly with the Ready Keiki initiative, saying it should be a Department of Education facility or public facility for kids in the Lihuʻe area.

Other council members, including Bernard Carvalho, referred to the need of early childhood care and working with others to fund preschool efforts.

“Whatever we can do to support the effort and continue supporting the effort is important,” he said.