May 28 officially marks the end of the 2019-20 school year for Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) students. Schools have reached out directly to parents to arrange for the pickup of any supplies that were left behind when school facilities closed on March 19, as well as the return of any borrowed HIDOE property such as library books and borrowed equipment. The Department continues to work with schools on plans for summer programming and currently has 18 sites that will be offering summer school via distance learning, in addition to E-School.
“As we close out the school year, I want to thank our students and families for their patience and resilience throughout this unprecedented journey. I also want to thank our teachers, staff and leadership for their innovation, collaboration and commitment in supporting our school communities beyond the classroom, through grab-and-go meal service, telehealth work, door-knocking, device distribution and more,” Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto said.
“Together, we have stepped up on behalf of our haumana to deliver on what the power and promise of public education means to this community, this state and this nation. By the end of the month, we will finalize our summer learning plans, ensuring equity and access to all students. We look forward to applying our new and innovative approaches to blended learning to summer learning, the next school year and beyond.”
Due to the abrupt closure of school facilities, refunds are being provided for services that were prepaid and not received for transportation and after-school programming. Parents and legal guardians will receive a prorated tuition refund for March for A+ programs (refunds were calculated based on the extended spring break and two school closure days in March). Refund amount information and the refund request form is available online, and should be submitted to the appropriate site coordinator or private provider to initiate the refund process.
School bus coupon holders will receive refunds based on the unused portion of paid bus pass coupons purchased on or after March 1. Unused bus coupons must be returned to the school office from which they were purchased in order to be eligible for a refund. Refund checks will be mailed directly to the payee of record.
As we transition out 11,000 graduates, we look forward to welcoming our new students. An online registration system is available to enroll students for the upcoming school year. The system allows for the enrollment of new students who were not enrolled at a public or charter school during the 2019-20 school year. Visit bit.ly/HIDOE-enroll for more information and step-by-step instructions.
Student enrollment forms and required documents will still be accepted by mail. Parents and guardians are encouraged to contact their school for office hours and additional instructions. Student transfers and withdrawals as well as charter school enrollment will need to be addressed directly with the respective school.
HIDOE COVID-19 updates will continue to be posted on the Department’s website and social media.