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 2025–2026 Charter School Application Cycle has concluded. The Commission would like to thank all applicants, evaluators, and community members who participated throughout the process.
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 2025-2026 Charter School Application Packet has been approved at the August 14, 2025 General Commission Meeting and is now live! Applications are due by November 21, 2025, at 12:00 PM HST.
The Commission held an application orientation on September 8, 2025. If you missed the orientation or would like to review it, click here to watch the recording of the meeting.
Applicant Questions and Responses as of September 22, 2025.
2025-26 Application Cycle
The Hawai’i State Public Charter School Commission adopted the 2025-26 application process and schedule at the August 14, 2025 General Business Meeting and the full Application is available in the file below:
Fillable Templates:
Virtual Online Blended Questions
Educational Service Provider (if applicable)
Conversion Charter Schools (if applicable)
Budget and Staff Planning Template
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.