Starting a Charter School in Hawaii
The Commission is committed to authorizing high quality public charter schools throughout the state that will contribute meaningfully to Hawaiʻi's public education system.
At the December 5, 2023 General Business meeting, the Commission approved its Applications Policy.
Application Cycle Status
The Hawaiʻi State Public Charter School Commission is pleased to announce that the 2026-2027 K-12 Charter School Application Packet has been approved at the August 13, 2026 General Business Meeting and is now live!
Stay Informed About Future Application Cycles
Interested in opening a public charter school in Hawaiʻi?
Sign up to receive email updates regarding future charter school application cycles, including application release dates, orientation sessions, technical assistance opportunities, important deadlines, and other announcements related to the application process.
Click here to join our application cycle email list.
Past application materials, recordings, and additional resources from prior application cycles remain available below for informational purposes.
The Hawaiʻi State Public Charter School Commission is pleased to announce that the 2026-2027 K-12 Charter School Application Packet has been approved at the August 13, 2026 General Business Meeting and is now live!
Applicants MUST submit the Application Information Sheet as their Intent to Apply no later than 3:00 PM HST on September 15, 2026. Submission of the Intent to Apply is required to participate in the 2026–2027 New Charter School Application cycle.
Complete applications must be submitted no later than 3:00 PM HST on November 13, 2026.
For more information, join our orientation on August 31, 2026 at 1:00 PM HST. If you intend to join us in-person or online please RSVP (here) by August 28, 2026 or reach out directly to Applications@spcsc.hawaii.gov.
2026-27 Application Cycle
The Hawai’i State Public Charter School Commission adopted the 2026-2027 application process and schedule at the August 13, 2026 General Business Meeting and the full Application is available in the file below:
Fillable Templates:
Application Information Sheet (Intent to Apply)
Educational Management Organization Questions (if applicable)
Conversion Charter Schools (if applicable)
Budget and Staffing Planning Template
The deadline to submit is November 13, 2026, 3:00 PM HST.
Archived Application Cycles
For transparency and ease of access, the Commission provides a comprehensive archive of past application cycles. The archive is organized by year, with each tab representing a specific cycle.
Each entry includes:
- Applicant School Name
- Link to Submitted Application
- Link to Supplemental Questions (if applicable)
- Final Decision
- Recommendation Report
- Link to Application Committee Submittal
- Link to General Meeting Submittal
- Link to General Meeting Minutes
View Archived Applications and Decisions
Pre-K Only Contract
The Pre-K only Charter Application Cycle is now closed. There will be no Pre-K-only application cycle for the 2025–2026 year unless additional funding becomes available.
Past Pre-K Only Application submissions can be found here:
View Archived Applications and Decisions
Ka ʻElele: SPCSC's Weekly E-Newsletters
Sign up to receive Ka ʻElele, the official e-newsletter of the Hawaii State Public Charter School Commission/ʻAha Kula Hoʻāmana. Ka ʻElele covers a multitude of topics and issues relevant to Hawaii's public charter schools.