HONOLULU — Hawaii’s public schools won’t fall below minimum accrediting standards even after chopping the number of instructional days to the fewest in the nation.

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges, which oversees accreditation for Hawaii’s public schools, does not set a minimum number of required school days.
The agency’s executive director, David Brown, says school evaluators will look at whether students are making academic progress regardless of how many days they spend in school.
Hawaii is furloughing teachers and closing schools for 17 days this school year, reducing instructional days from 180 to 163.
Schools Superintendent Pat Hamamoto has said teachers will have to do their best to compensate for the lost time.