Public education in Hawaii
| K-12 education in Hawaii | |
 | |
| Education facts | |
| State superintendent: Keith Hayashi | |
| Number of students: 181,088 | |
| Number of teachers: 12,220 | |
| Teacher/pupil ratio: 1:15 | |
| Number of school districts: 1 | |
| Number of schools: 294 | |
| Graduation rate: 85% | |
| Per-pupil spending: $16,564 | |
| See also | |
| Hawaii State Department of Education • List of school districts in Hawaii • Hawaii • School boards portal | |
 | |
Public education in the United States Public education in Hawaii Glossary of education terms | |
| Note: The statistics on this page are mainly from government sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Center for Education Statistics. Figures given were the most recent as of June 2015. | |
The Hawaii public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2022, Hawaii had 181,088 students enrolled in a total of 294 schools in one school district. There were 12,220 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 15 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. In 2020, Hawaii spent on average $16,564 per pupil.[1] The state's graduation rate was 85 percent in the 2018-2019 school year.[2]
General information
- See also: General comparison table for education statistics in the 50 states and Education spending per pupil in all 50 states
The following chart shows how Hawaii compares to the national level for the most recent years for which data is available.
| Public education in Hawaii | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Schools | Districts | Students | Teachers | Teacher-to-pupil ratio | Per pupil spending* | |
| Hawaii | 294 | 1 | 181,088 | 12,220 | 1:14.8 | $16,564 | |
| United States | 90,323 | 13,194 | 47,755,383 | 2,783,705 | 1:16 | $13,494 | |
| *Per pupil spending data reflects information reported for fiscal year 2020. Sources: Education statistics in the United States | |||||||
Academic performance
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| Education terms |
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| For more information on education policy terms, see this article. |
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NAEP scores
- See also: NAEP scores by state
The National Center for Education Statistics provides state-by-state data on student achievement levels in mathematics and reading in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The chart below presents the percentage of fourth and eighth grade students that scored at or above proficient in reading and math during school year 2012-2013. In Hawaii, 28 percent of eighth grade students scored at or above proficient in reading, a lower percentage than any other West Coast.[3]
| Percent of students scoring at or above proficient, 2012-2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Math - Grade 4 | Math - Grade 8 | Reading - Grade 4 | Reading - Grade 8 | |
| Hawaii | 46% | 32% | 30% | 28% |
| California | 33% | 28% | 27% | 29% |
| Oregon | 40% | 34% | 33% | 37% |
| Washington | 48% | 42% | 40% | 42% |
| United States | 41% | 34% | 34% | 34% |
| Source: United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables" | ||||
Graduation, ACT and SAT scores
The following table shows the graduation rates and average composite ACT and SAT scores for Hawaii and surrounding states during the 2012-2013 school year. All statements made in this section refer to that school year.[3][4][5]
In the United States, public schools reported graduation rates that averaged to about 81.4 percent. About 54 percent of all students in the country took the ACT, while 50 percent reported taking the SAT. The average national composite scores for those tests were 20.9 out of a possible 36 for the ACT, and 1498 out of a possible 2400 for the SAT.[6]
Hawaii schools reported a graduation rate of 82.4 percent during the 2012-2013 school year, highest among West Coast.
In Hawaii, more students took the SAT than the ACT in 2013, earning an average SAT score of 1,453.
| Comparison table for graduation rates and test scores, 2012-2013 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Graduation rate, 2013 | Average ACT composite, 2013 | Average SAT composite, 2013 | ||||
| Percent | Quintile ranking** | Score | Participation rate | Score | Participation rate | ||
| Hawaii | 82.4% | Third | 20.1 | 40% | 1,453 | 64% | |
| California | 80.4% | Third | 22.2 | 26% | 1,505 | 57% | |
| Oregon | 68.7% | Fifth | 21.5 | 34% | 1,539 | 49% | |
| Washington | 76.4% | Fourth | 22.8 | 21% | 1,537 | 60% | |
| United States | 81.4% | 20.9 | 54% | 1498 | 50% | ||
| **Graduation rates for states in the first quintile ranked in the top 20 percent nationally. Similarly, graduation rates for states in the fifth quintile ranked in the bottom 20 percent nationally. Sources: United States Department of Education, "ED Data Express," accessed May 28, 2015 ACT.org, "2013 ACT National and State Scores," accessed May 28, 2015 The Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT scores by state, 2013," accessed May 28, 2015 | |||||||
Dropout rate
- See also: Public high school dropout rates by state for a full comparison of dropout rates by group in all states
The high school event dropout rate indicates the proportion of students who were enrolled at some time during the school year and were expected to be enrolled in grades nine through 12 in the following school year but were not enrolled by October 1 of the following school year. Students who have graduated, transferred to another school, died, moved to another country, or who are out of school due to illness are not considered dropouts. The average public high school event dropout rate for the United States remained constant at 3.3 percent for both school year 2010–2011 and school year 2011–2012. The event dropout rate for Hawaii was higher than the national average at 5.1 percent in the 2010-2011 school year, and 4.7 percent in the 2011-2012 school year.[7]
Educational choice options
- See also: School choice in Hawaii
Hawaii had the second highest private school attendance in the United States as of 2014. Other school choice options in the state include charter schools, homeschooling, online learning and intra-district, voluntary public school open enrollment.
Developments
Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue (2020)
On June 30, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, which concerned whether the government can exclude religious institutions from student-aid programs. The case related to Article X, Section 6 of the Montana Constitution, also known as Montana’s Blaine Amendment.[8]
In its 5-4 opinion, the court held that the application of Article X, Section 6 violated the free exercise clause of the U.S. Constitution. The majority held Article X, Section 6 barred religious schools and parents who wished to send their children to those schools from receiving public benefits because of the religious character of the school.[9]
The case addressed the tension between the free exercise and Establishment clauses of the U.S. Constitution—where one guarantees the right of individuals' free exercise of religion and the other guarantees that the state won't establish a religion—and the intersections of state constitutions with state law and with the U.S. Constitution.
Hawaii is one of the states with a Blaine Amendment.
Education funding and expenditures
- See also: Hawaii state budget and finances
Source: National Association of State Budget Officers
According to the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO), states spent an average of 19.8 percent of their total budgets on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. In addition, the United States Census Bureau found that approximately 45.6 percent of the country's school system revenue came from state sources, while about 45.3 percent came from local sources. The remaining portion of school system revenue came from federal sources.[10][11]
Hawaii spent approximately 15.5 percent of its budget on elementary and secondary education during fiscal year 2013. The state school system's revenue came primarily from state funds. Hawaii spent the second lowest percentage of its total budget on public education compared to West Coast states.
| Comparison of financial figures for school systems, fiscal year 2013 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Percentage of budget | Per pupil spending | Revenue sources | ||||
| Percent federal funds | Percent state funds | Percent local funds | |||||
| Hawaii | 15.5% | $11,823 | 13.3% | 84.2% | 2.5% | ||
| California | 21.4% | $9,220 | 11.8% | 52.9% | 35.3% | ||
| Oregon | 14.3% | $9,543 | 7.8% | 50.5% | 41.7% | ||
| Washington | 23.4% | $9,672 | 8.6% | 58.9% | 32.5% | ||
| United States | 19.8% | $10,700 | 9.1% | 45.6% | 45.3% | ||
| Sources: NASBO, "State Expenditure Report" (Table 8). U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 5 and Table 8). | |||||||
Revenue breakdowns
- See also: Public school system revenues in the U.S. to compare all states.
According to the United States Census Bureau, public school system revenues totaled approximately $598 billion in fiscal year 2013.[11]
In Hawaii, the primary source of school system revenue came from state funding, at about $2 billion. Hawaii had the lowest total revenue when compared to West Coast states, but received a greater percentage of that revenue from state sources than any of those comparison states.
| Revenues by source, fiscal year 2013 (amounts in thousands) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Federal revenue | State revenue | Local revenue | Total revenue |
| Hawaii | $310,778 | $1,962,923 | $58,069 | $2,331,770 |
| California | $7,836,263 | $35,141,208 | $23,468,448 | $66,445,919 |
| Oregon | $471,682 | $3,041,825 | $2,508,173 | $6,021,680 |
| Washington | $1,042,200 | $7,160,395 | $3,947,651 | $12,150,246 |
| United States | $54,367,305 | $272,916,892 | $270,645,402 | $597,929,599 |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports" (Table 1) | ||||
Expenditure breakdowns
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public school system expenditures totaled approximately $602 billion in fiscal year 2012.[12]
Public education expenditures in Hawaii totaled approximately $2.4 billion in fiscal year 2012. Hawaii's expenditures were much lower than any of the West Coast states with which it was compared.
| Expenditures by type, fiscal year 2012 (amounts in thousands) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | General expenditures | Capital outlay | Other | Total expenditures |
| Hawaii | $2,187,480 | $124,096 | $119,847 | $2,431,422 |
| California | $57,975,189 | $6,693,286 | $3,264,820 | $67,933,295 |
| Oregon | $5,389,273 | $448,212 | $341,375 | $6,178,860 |
| Washington | $10,054,077 | $1,545,989 | $452,833 | $12,052,898 |
| United States | $527,096,473 | $48,773,386 | $25,897,123 | $601,766,981 |
| Source: National Center for Education Statistics, "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011–12 (Fiscal Year 2012)" (Table 5) | ||||
Personnel salaries
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average national salary for classroom teachers in public elementary and secondary schools declined by 1.3 percent from the 1999-2000 school year to the 2012-2013 school year. During the same period in Hawaii, the average salary decreased by 2.1 percent.[14]
| Estimated average salaries for teachers (in constant dollars**) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-2000 | 2009-2010 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | Percent difference | |
| Hawaii | $55,453 | $58,777 | $54,970 | $54,300 | -2.1% |
| California | $65,159 | $72,803 | $69,672 | $69,324 | 6.4% |
| Oregon | $57,856 | $58,948 | $58,302 | $58,758 | 1.6% |
| Washington | $56,089 | $56,578 | $53,101 | $53,571 | -4.5% |
| United States | $57,133 | $58,925 | $56,340 | $56,383 | -1.3% |
| **"Constant dollars based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to a school-year basis. The CPI does not account for differences in inflation rates from state to state." | |||||
Organizations
State agencies
- See also: Hawaii Department of Education
The Hawaii Department of Education represents the single public school district in the state.[15]
The mission statement of the Hawaii Department of Education reads as follows:[16]
| “ | We serve our community by developing the academic achievement, character and social-emotional well-being of our students to the fullest potential. We work with partners, families and communities to ensure that all students reach their aspirations, from early learning through college, career and citizenship.[17] | ” |
The Hawaii State Board of Education has nine members, as well as a student council representative and a military liaison. The Board meets twice a month, unless special meetings are required, to formulate policy and oversee the public school and public library systems.[18]
Unions
In 2012, the Fordham Institute and Education Reform Now assessed the power and influence of state teacher unions in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Their rankings were based on 37 different variables in five broad areas: resources and membership, involvement in politics, scope of bargaining, state policies and perceived influence. Hawaii ranked first overall for union power and influence, or "strongest", which was in the first tier of five.[19]
The Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) was formally incorporated in 1971 to bring more focus on education and teacher issues to the state's agenda.[20]
The mission statement of the Hawaii State Teachers Association reads:[20]
| “ | The mission of the Hawaii State Teachers Association is to:
|
” |
Government sector lobbying
- See also: Hawaii government sector lobbying
The Hawaii Board of Education does not have registered lobbyists and has stated that it does not lobby in a way that needs to be disclosed.[21]
Studies and reports
State Budget Solutions education study
State Budget Solutions examined national trends in education from 2009 to 2011, including state-by-state analysis of education spending, graduation rates and average ACT scores. The study showed that the states that spent the most did not have the highest average ACT test scores, nor did they have the highest average graduation rates. A summary of the study is available here. The full report can be accessed here.
School districts
- See also: School board elections portal
School board composition
Hawaii has one school district, the Hawaii State Department of Education. The nine members on the board are appointed by the governor. There are no publicly elected members on the board. They serve three-year terms.[22]
Elections
The Hawaii State Department of Education does not have elected school board members. The Hawaii Board of Education oversees all public schools in the state with members appointed by the governor.[23]
Recent legislation
The following is a list of recent education bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Hawaii state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.
- Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.
Education ballot measures
- See also: Education on the ballot and List of Hawaii ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked the following statewide ballot measures relating to education.
- Hawaii Acquisition of School Construction Projects, Amendment 2 (1996)
- Hawaii Federal Financial Aid, Amendment 3 (1996)
- Hawaii University of Hawaii Self-Governance, Amendment 1 (2000)
- Hawaii Board of Regents Candidates Act, Amendment 1 (2006)
- Hawaii Board of Education Amendment, Question 1 (2010)
- Hawaii Governor Appointed Board of Education, Ballot Measure 3 (1994)
- Hawaii Limit Board of Education Powers, Ballot Measure 4 (1994)
- Hawaii Board of Education, Amendment 19 (1978)
- Hawaii University Board of Regents, Amendment 21 (1978)
- Hawaii Board of Education, Proposition 1 (1970)
- Hawaii Superintendent, Proposition 2 (1970)
- Hawaii Question 2, Allow Bonds for Non-Profit Private Schools and Colleges Amendment (2002)
In the news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Hawaii education policy. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Historical public education information in Hawaii
- Hawaii state budget and finances
- Hawaii Department of Education
- List of school districts in Hawaii
- School choice in Hawaii
- Charter schools in Hawaii
- Hawaii
- Education Policy in the U.S.
External links
- Hawaii Department of Education
- Hawaii Board of Education (dead link)
- Accountability Resource Center Hawaii
- Hawaii State Teachers Association
Footnotes
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "U.S. School System Current Spending Per Pupil by Region: Fiscal Year 2020," May 18, 2022
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Fast Facts: High school graduation rates," accessed September 28, 2022
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 United States Department of Education, ED Data Express, "State Tables," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ ACT, "2012 ACT National and State Scores," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ Commonwealth Foundation, "SAT Scores by State 2013," October 10, 2013
- ↑ StudyPoints, "What's a good SAT score or ACT score?" accessed June 7, 2015
- ↑ United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Common Core of Data (CCD), State Dropout and Graduation Rate Data File, School Year 2010-11, Provision Version 1a and School Year 2011-12, Preliminary Version 1a," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue: "Petition for a writ of certiorari," accessed July 3, 2019
- ↑ Supreme Court of the United States, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, decided June 30, 2020
- ↑ NASBO, "State Expenditure Report," accessed July 2, 2015
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 U.S. Census Bureau, "Public Education Finances: 2013, Economic Reimbursable Surveys Division Reports," accessed July 2, 2015
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2011–12 (Fiscal Year 2012)," accessed July 2, 2015
- ↑ Maciver Institute, "REPORT: How much are teachers really paid?" accessed October 29, 2014
- ↑ United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, "Table 211.60. Estimated average annual salary of teachers in public elementary and secondary schools, by state: Selected years, 1969-70 through 2012-13," accessed May 13, 2014
- ↑ Hawaii State Department of Education, "Connect with Us," accessed May 19, 2014
- ↑ Hawaii State Department of Education, "Mission," accessed May 19, 2014
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Hawaii Department of Education, "Board of Education," accessed May 19, 2014
- ↑ Thomas E Fordham Institute, "How Strong Are U.S. Teacher Unions? A State-By-State Comparison," October 29, 2012
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Hawaii State Teachers Association, "About Us," accessed May 20, 2014
- ↑ Hawaii FOIA response, November 23, 2009
- ↑ Hawaii Public Schools, "Organization," accessed July 10, 2014
- ↑ State of Hawaii Board of Education, "Our Members," accessed February 19, 2017
