Ongoing concerns about enrollment shouldn’t prevent charters from growing in areas where there’s high demand or need, said David Sun-Miyashiro, executive director of HawaiʻiKidsCAN. Since charter schools enroll students across the island and attract a variety of families, their growth doesn’t necessarily directly hurt local DOE schools, he said, especially when they have unique programs that aren’t offered elsewhere.

“When I think about the new schools that have opened over the last five to 10 years,” he said, “they all bring something that’s really unique and complementary to the local education ecosystem.”