What's Being Discussed

The Hawaii Board of Education's Finance and Infrastructure Committee will meet on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. at the Queen Liliʻuokalani Building in Honolulu (Room 404), with an option to join virtually. The meeting will cover:

• Approval of past meeting minutes from May and August 2026
• The Hawaii State Public Library System's budget request for the two-year period covering fiscal years 2027–2029, including both operating costs and construction or facility improvement projects
• The Department of Education's operating budget request for fiscal years 2027–2029
• The Department of Education's capital improvement projects budget request for fiscal years 2027–2029, covering school building and facility needs
• A proposal to update Board policy on student fees

Decisions Expected

The Committee is expected to vote on all four major items listed above. These include approving budget requests that will shape funding for public schools and libraries over the next two years, as well as deciding whether to move forward with revising the policy governing fees charged to students.

Who Should Pay Attention

• Parents and students — the student fees policy change could directly affect what schools are allowed to charge
• Teachers and school staff — the DOE budget decisions affect school resources and operations
• Library users — the public library budget request affects library services statewide
• Taxpayers — these budget requests will ultimately seek state funding

The public may testify in person or online. Written testimony can be submitted at boe.hawaii.gov/submit-testimony/.