HI SB2181

Hawaii public schools (excluding charter and multi-track schools) must increase annual student instructional hours from 1,080 to 1,200 hours beginning with the 2027-2028 school year.

The 180-day school year requirement remains unchanged, with the additional hours representing approximately an 11% increase in instructional time.

The Board of Education retains authority to grant waivers to individual schools from the student hours or 180-day requirements.

The legislation cites research linking increased instructional time to improved student achievement, noting Hawaii currently ranks in the middle to bottom among states in student performance with fewer required instructional hours than higher-performing states.