Chapter 11: Hawai’I

Hawai’i’s educational history and operation is unique among the 50 states. As the last state to join the Union in 1959, Hawai’i is the only state in the nation comprised of a single school district. After serving as the interim superintendent, Keith Hayashi, former principal, was recently appointed by the Board of Education to serve as the superintendent. Hayashi is tasked with helping “the school system out of the pandemic.” ¹

The constitution² of the state of Hawai’i specifically provides for public education. Article 10 §1 says:

Hawai’i is also unique in that property taxes form no part of its true school funding base, making funding for schools almost entirely reliant on the state legislature. As a result, the state’s single school district has no independent tax authority. Fiscal support for public schools comes from the state’s general fund—a source primarily characterizable as funded by general excise taxes, personal income taxes, corporate income taxes, and other special taxes on use and consumption. ³ Hawai’i’s basic school fiscal support program entails a $2 billion budget that is expected to swell to more than $3 billion for FY 2023 funded by state, federal, trust fund, and special fund sources (see Table 11.1 later).