Scrutiny of Hawaiʻi school contracting comes as lawmakers raise more questions about the costs of producing school lunches.

Some community members say the incident at a Kapolei Middle School underscores the need for behavioral health staff at the state’s public schools.

Teachers with master’s degrees have a higher starting salary than those with bachelor’s degrees, but research suggests these degrees may not improve educator quality.

Most schools are on track to reopen later this month, but at least two schools are searching for alternatives in the final months of the school year.

Proposals have made it halfway through the legislative session, and some advocates are cautiously optimistic that legislation that failed in past years will make it this year.

DOE wants more support in keeping unwanted visitors off its campuses, but families say school playgrounds are an important part of the community.

The DOE has not taken the effort seriously and has no real plan for how to meet a legislative mandate to spend 30% of its food budget locally by 2030, according to a state audit.

The state entered into a contract to provide panic buttons to Hawaiʻi schools two years ago, but DOE campuses still don’t have access to the technology.

It seems only fair that the process should unfold with full transparency.

Hawaiʻi schools have faced multiple lawsuits in recent years involving decades-old incidents, after lawmakers temporarily lifted the statute of limitations around the sexual abuse of minors.