EDITORIAL
Below average is not a passing grade

Critics complain that public education spending in Hawai'i isn't insufficient, it's simply misdirected. They often speak of a bloated education bureaucracy. But no matter how you cut it, Hawai'i spends less on education than the average American state.

The 2000 Census shows that, as usual, Hawai'i ranks around the middle in per-pupil spending, a statistic that takes into account a wide range of expenses, including teachers' salaries, special-education programs and sporting events. The national average is $6,835.

In the 2000 fiscal year, the Aloha State was No. 26 among states, spending a total of $6,487 per student. Compare that to No. 1 New Jersey, which spent $8,902 in 1994, according to the Census survey. New York paid $8,162 per student, Alaska paid $7,890, and Connecticut spent $7,629. Were the cost of living factored into the figures, Hawai'i might rate closer to the bottom with Tennessee, Mississippi and Utah.

And with the state Department of Education taking cuts in the new budget, per-pupil spending is likely to slip even further. Partly to blame, of course, is the economic fallout of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But also to blame is our relatively low priority for education spending.

Hawai'i historically has ranked around the national average. Granted, per-pupil spending is far from the only determinant of the quality of education. Equally or more important is how you target spending.

Still, statistics steadily place the results of Hawai'i's education system below par, and money clearly has something to do with it.

Our public schools are financed by the state budget, so the education system limps from year to year on what the governor and Legislature are willing or able to give.

By contrast, many school districts on the Mainland receive money from their municipal governments or school districts based on property taxes and other revenue sources. Lawmakers argue that it's impossible to compare Hawai'i's uniquely centralized school system with states that have local school districts.

They have a point. But conventional wisdom tells us that you get what you pay for, and what we pay for is below average. Perhaps it's time to look at new ways of financing public education. Hawai'i needs and deserves better.