It's reported that officials in Hawaii are concerned at the drop in the number of children enrolling for Hawaiian language immersion schools.
The Honolulu Star-Bulletin reports school statistics suggest 1,400 students are likely to be signed up to the schools.
The newspaper compares this with 1,700 students enrolled in the 1999-2000 school year.
Officials attributed the fall to a wearing away of interest at the intermediate grade levels, low kindergarten enrollment, and an inability to find licensed teachers proficient in the Hawaiian language to fill positions.
At immersion schools, all subjects are taught in the Hawaiian language and English is taught as a separate subject.
