On these mornings, children seem to clutch their parent's hands a little bit tighter, and the goodbyes last a few moments longer. C.W. Paglinawan, a project engineer, snapped a quick picture of Luke at his desk before he was off to kindergarten orientation with his daughter.

"At this age, this is right for them," said Paglinawan, of Mililani, perhaps reassuring himself. He eventually wants his children in private school, and he looked into four different public schools before getting geographic exceptions so his children could attend Waimalu.

After a year when education reform was the hottest topic in state politics, expectations have been raised about the changes possible at public schools. But parents will not likely see much progress right away, as educators test a new student spending formula and new community councils at 22 pilot schools.

"It's kind of depressing," Paglinawan said of the reputation of public schools. "Sometimes I think it's right when they say, 'You get what you pay for.' "

But parents will see some changes soon.

Changes in the air

Debbie Boots gives her son, Devyn, 8, a good luck kiss on his first day at Barbers Point Elementary. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

Lawmakers want schools to limit class sizes to no more than 25 students in the early grades, which are critical learning years. The schools were selected based on projections that will be confirmed after an enrollment count in September, when the department will also have a better idea of how many of an estimated 1,500 new teachers still need to be hired and assigned.

Schools also have until early September to apply for a share of the $2.5 million lawmakers approved for new math textbooks. The DOE has released a list of recommended textbooks, and schools in complexes with a consistent math curriculum will be given priority.

Parents line up and drop off 'Aiea Intermediate students on the first day of classes for eighth-graders. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

Carol Petersen, the principal at Mililani Mauka Elementary School, said her teachers often use supplemental materials because their older math books do not stress the writing and problem-solving skills now required of students.

"The textbook that we have is 10 years old," Petersen said.

Lawmakers also approved $1.7 million so that all schools have parent coordinators. A lack of parental involvement has been cited as a factor in poorly performing schools.

Beth Young, the student activity coordinator at 'Aiea Intermediate School, got ready for the first day of school Thursday by putting up a big, brightly colored banner welcoming new and returning students. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

"It's for the children," she said as parents buzzed around the school office, making sure they had filled out the proper forms and brought the right supplies on the first day.

Chance to experiment

Parents of children at Honowai Elementary in Waipahu will be among the first in the state to have the opportunity to participate in a school community council, which will have input on the school's budget and curriculum. The council will likely form during the next few months and learn more about the new school spending formula as information emerges from the DOE.

The formula, which bases school financing on student need rather than enrollment, will be set by a new DOE committee. Principals will have control over 70 percent of school spending. The pilot program will identify any problems before all schools must have the new councils in the 2005-2006 school year and the new formula debuts statewide in the 2006-2007 school year.

"We view it as an opportunity to see what we can do," said Curtis Young, the principal at Honowai.

After saying goodbye to their mother, Maria Gallano, brothers Jai, 7, and Rich, 10, walked Thursday toward their classrooms at Barbers Point Elementary School. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

The DOE will adopt the Legislature's reform plan while also trying to make sure that schools are meeting the federal No Child Left Behind law, which requires schools to make annual progress so that all students are proficient in core subjects by 2014. Some education observers have asked whether the DOE is capable of making all these improvements and at what point it is reasonable to expect results.

"This is not a group of people who are dragging their feet," said Jim Shon of the Hawai'i Educational Policy Center, a research group. "They're scrambling."

But the reform debate is far from over.

Gov. Linda Lingle still wants to split the DOE into local districts with elected school boards, and a leading Democrat on education wants to discuss moving schools toward a standard statewide curriculum.

A group of eighth graders reunited Thursday on their first day of school at 'Aiea Intermediate. That's Steven O' Meally grinning as his friend, Stephan Iorenzana, playfully wraps his arms around him. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

An option, Takumi said, would be to have a standard curriculum for struggling schools while leaving top-performing schools alone. He said it is difficult to raise achievement statewide when each school or teacher can go off in their own direction.

"How can you do that when everybody uses a hodgepodge?" Takumi asked.