| Hawaii is currently the only state in the | | | | Problems |
| union with a unified school system statewide. | | | | |
| Policy decisions are made by the | | | | Public schools in Hawaii have to deal with |
| fourteen-member state Board of Education, | | | | large populations of children of non-native |
| with thirteen members elected for four-year | | | | English speaking immigrants and a culture |
| terms and one non-voting student member. The | | | | that is different in many ways from the |
| Board of Education sets statewide educational | | | | mainland U.S., whence most of the course |
| policy and hires the state superintendent of | | | | materials come, and where most of the |
| schools, who oversees the operations of the | | | | standards for schools are set. |
| state Department of Education. The Department | | | | |
| of Education is also divided into seven | | | | The public elementary, middle, and high |
| districts, four on Oahu and one for each of | | | | school scores in Hawaii tend to be below |
| the other counties. | | | | average on national tests as mandated under |
| | | | the No Child Left Behind Act. Some of this |
| The structure of the state Department of | | | | can be attributed to the Hawaii State Board |
| Education has been a subject of discussion | | | | of Education requiring all eligible students |
| and controversy in recent years. The main | | | | to take these tests and reporting all student |
| rationale for the current centralized model | | | | test scores unlike, for example, Texas and |
| is equity in school funding and distribution | | | | Michigan. Results reported in August 2005 |
| of resources: leveling out inequalities that | | | | indicate that two-thirds of Hawaii's schools |
| would exist between highly populated Oahu and | | | | failed to reach federal minimum performance |
| the more rural Neighbor Islands, and between | | | | standards in math and reading (of 282 schools |
| lower-income and more affluent areas of the | | | | across the state, 185 failed). |
| state. This system of school funding differs | | | | |
| from many localities in the United States | | | | On the other hand, results of the ACT college |
| where schools are funded from local property | | | | placement tests show that Hawaii class of |
| taxes. | | | | 2005 seniors scored slightly above the |
| | | | national average (21.9 compared with 20.9) |
| Policy initiatives have been made in recent | | | | (Honolulu Advertiser, Aug. 17, 2005, p. B1). |
| years toward decentralization. Current | | | | It should be noted that fewer students take |
| Governor Linda Lingle is a proponent of | | | | the ACT examination than take the more widely |
| replacing the current statewide board with | | | | accepted SAT examination. On the SAT, |
| seven elected district boards. The | | | | Hawaii's college bound seniors tend to score |
| Democrat-controlled state legislature opposed | | | | below the national average in all categories |
| her proposal, instead favoring expansion of | | | | except math. |
| decision-making power to the schools and | | | | |
| giving schools more discretion over | | | | Economy |
| budgeting. Political debate of structural | | | | |
| reform is likely to continue for the | | | | The history of Hawaii can be traced through a |
| foreseeable future. | | | | succession of dominating industries: |
| | | | sandalwood, whaling, sugarcane, pineapple, |
| Schools and academies | | | | military, tourism, and education. Since |
| | | | statehood was achieved in 1959, tourism has |
| As stated above, the Hawaii State Department | | | | been the largest industry in Hawaii, |
| of Education operates all of the public | | | | contributing 24.3% of the Gross State Product |
| schools in the State of Hawaii. | | | | (GSP) in 1997. New efforts are underway to |
| | | | diversify the economy. The total gross output |
| Hawaii has the distinction of educating more | | | | for the state in 2003 was US$47 billion; per |
| students in independent institutions of | | | | capita income for Hawaii residents was |
| secondary education than any other state in | | | | US$30,441. |
| the United States. It also has four of the | | | | |
| largest independent schools: Mid-Pacific | | | | Industrial exports from Hawaii include food |
| Institute, Iolani School, Kamehameha Schools, | | | | processing and apparel. These industries play |
| and Punahou School. The second Buddhist high | | | | a small role in the Hawaii economy, however, |
| school in the United States, and first | | | | due to the considerable shipping distance to |
| Buddhist high school in Hawaii, Pacific | | | | markets on the west coast of the United |
| Buddhist Academy, was founded in 2003. (The | | | | States and ports of, coffee, macadamia nuts, |
| first Buddhist high school in the United | | | | pineapple, livestock, and sugar cane. |
| States was Developing Virtue Secondary School | | | | Agricultural sales for 2002, according to the |
| founded in 1981 in Ukiah, California.) | | | | Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service, were |
| | | | US$370.9 million from diversified |
| Both independent and charter schools can | | | | agriculture, US$100.6 million from pineapple, |
| select their students, while the regular | | | | and US$64.3 million from sugarcane. |
| public schools must take all students in | | | | |
| their district. For a comprehensive list of | | | | Hawaii is known for its relatively high per |
| independent schools, see the list of | | | | capita state tax burden. In the years 2002 |
| independent schools in Hawaii. For a | | | | and 2003, Hawaii residents had the highest |
| comprehensive list of public schools, see the | | | | state tax per capita at US$2,757 and |
| list of public schools in Hawaii. | | | | US$2,838, respectively. This rate can be |
| | | | explained partly by the fact that services |
| Colleges and universities | | | | such as education, health care and social |
| | | | services are all rendered at the state level |
| Graduates of institutions of secondary | | | | — as opposed to the municipal level as |
| learning in Hawaii often either enter | | | | all other states. |
| directly into the work force or attend | | | | |
| colleges and universities. While many choose | | | | Millions of tourists contribute to the |
| to attend colleges and universities on the | | | | collection figure by paying the general |
| mainland or elsewhere, most choose to attend | | | | excise tax and hotel room tax; thus not all |
| one of many institutions of higher learning | | | | the taxes collected come directly from |
| in Hawaii. | | | | residents. Business leaders, however, have |
| | | | often considered the state's tax burden as |
| The largest of these institutions is the | | | | being too high, contributing to both higher |
| University of Hawaii System. It consists of: | | | | prices and the perception of an unfriendly |
| (1) the flagship research university at Manoa | | | | business climate [4]. See the list of |
| (Manoa); (2) two comprehensive campuses Hilo | | | | businesses in Hawaii for more information on |
| and West Oahu; and (7) seven Community | | | | commerce in the state. |
| Colleges. Students choosing private education | | | | |
| attend Brigham Young University Hawaii, | | | | Until recently, Hawaii was the only state in |
| Chaminade University of Honolulu, Hawaii | | | | the U.S. that attempted to control gasoline |
| Pacific University, or University of the | | | | prices through a Gas Cap Law. The law was |
| Nations. | | | | enacted during a period when oil profits in |
| | | | Hawaii in relation to the Mainland U.S. were |
| The Saint Stephen Diocesan Center is a | | | | under scrutiny, and sought to tie local |
| seminary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of | | | | gasoline prices to those of the Mainland. The |
| Honolulu. For a comprehensive list of | | | | law took effect in September 2005 amid price |
| colleges and universities, see the list of | | | | fluctuations caused by Hurricane Katrina. The |
| colleges and universities in Hawaii. | | | | Hawaii state legislature suspended the law in |
| | | | April 2006. |