Kaiapuni Middle School at Risk | Honolulu News

Kapolei Middle School is shutting down its Hawaiian immersion program just as the school year begins—because it can’t find two teachers. This setback devastates families who’ve fought for a full K-12 Hawaiian language pathway, sacrificing long commutes and years of effort. While the state DOE is expanding Kaiapuni statewide and offering incentives to recruit teachers, Kapolei’s closure exposes a painful gap between policy and practice. With 21 teaching positions still open across the state, advocates question whether rigid certification rules are blocking fluent speakers from becoming instructors—threatening the very language the constitution says we must preserve. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/8455cfe28c87b40a