After a surge of growth in the 1990s, enrollment in Hawaiian language immersion programs at the public schools has leveled off over the past few years, but the Department of Education hopes for more money from the Legislature to boost offerings and attract more students.

It is clear 18 years after they were created that interest in schools that seek to revitalize Hawaiian language and culture hasn't waned. If enrollment is holding steady at 1,400 across 19 DOE immersion sites, it is due in part to competition from five public charter schools offering immersion programs and nine other charter schools teaching with a Hawaiian focus in English. There are about 2,000 students enrolled in Hawaiian-focused charter schools, with 350 of those students in immersion programs.