The Executive Office on Early Learning asked the House Committee on Finance for funding to expand the EOEL public pre‑K public option, continue coaching and to sustain positions established under a temporary federal grant.

Director of the Executive Office on Early Learning told lawmakers the state’s public pre‑K program has grown in recent years and the office seeks to scale further. EOEL said it opened dozens of new classrooms over the past two years and now plans a two‑year expansion adding 50 classrooms. That expansion would require hiring roughly 50 teachers, 50 educational assistants and eight statewide early‑learning teacher‑coaches, a package EOEL estimated at 108 total positions over the two years.

Why it matters: EOEL said early childhood interventions and access for 3‑ and 4‑year‑olds are prerequisites for later student success and for meeting state goals to increase local food procurement and other cross‑agency priorities. The office told the committee it used a mix of criteria to select sites, including school leadership, available space and community need.

Program details and context
- EOEL said it opened 55 new EOEL public pre‑K classrooms over the prior two years and now serves dozens of campuses statewide under its public option.
- The office described its planning and selection process as driven by Act 46 (2020) priorities to create seats for currently unserved children and by community readiness and facility availability.
- EOEL said it is temporarily supported by a federal Preschool Development Grant through 2025 that created short‑term positions; the office asked the committee to consider funding to sustain necessary state coordination as that grant phases out.

Questions and follow-ups
Committee members asked about staffing, geographic placement of classrooms and whether EOEL sought additional non‑general funds or federal support. EOEL said the office is working with the University of Hawaii and community colleges on workforce pipelines and that it will provide mapping of planned neighbor‑island facilities and site details on request.

Ending note: EOEL emphasized early learning as a ‘‘cradle‑to‑career’’ foundation and asked lawmakers to support the classroom expansion, coaching staff and ongoing program coordination needed to scale the public pre‑K option across islands.