• • • 33 candidates (58%) agreed that Hawaii should require all students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before graduating from high school, or complete a waiver.
    • 25 candidates (44%) agreed the State Constitution be amended to provide quality education as a fundamental right.

What does Hawaii do well with regards to K-12 public education? – highlighted responses

• • • “I believe that our state is doing well in creating a career pipeline and STEM opportunities. Each of these avenues are new, but they are creating new options for students that didn’t exist previously. I do think we need to continually expand options to meet the demands of our community. One example, I just had a conversation about the severe need for CDL drivers–if we can certify students in high school–they can get a job right out of school. We need to be able to quickly pivot and make this happen, but I know the infrastructure is already there throughout the DOE.” Troy Hashimoto (House)
    • “Although our system is underfunded, the distribution of those funds due to the weighted student formula is more equitable than it was in the past. Having a statewide school system is also an advantage as it is a more efficient system than having dozens of local school boards.” Roy Takumi (House)

What should Hawaii do better with regards to K-12 public education?

• • • “We need to better prepare all our students for a variety of future job options—be it a vocation trade or matriculating to college. Additionally, we must address the gender equity issues in high school athletics, provide comprehensive special education instruction and support to meet students’ needs and implement more STEM programs.” Josh Green (Governor)
    • “A better system and structure of the system. There was a Covid relief package given, and we need to really put it to work. Improvements on schools, systems and working closely with parents are also opportunities for advancement.” Tamara McKay (Senate)
    • “The Hawai’i state government should prioritize upgrading school facilities to include air-conditioning (where applicable) and broadband, provide access to technology-based learning, update playground equipment and improve student support services through relationships with community nonprofits.” Paul Morgan (Governor)

How should Hawaii prioritize our spending on K-12 public education (for example: teacher salaries, programs to address learning loss, technology, community partnerships and projects, computer science education, charter schools, distance learning options, etc.)? – highlighted responses

• • • “Teacher compensation and learning loss initiatives should be the highest priorities, in addition to universal pre-k.” Christopher Todd (House)
    • “First and foremost, I support prioritizing an increase to teacher’s pay in order to maintain our current educational workforce and potentially attract more teachers. Next, we should focus on developing distance learning options with technology and community-based learning programs. There is more that can be done to ensure that we reach out into rural communities and close the technology gap that is growing in our society.” Chase Nomura (House)

Hawaii should require all students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before graduating from high school, or complete a waiver. – highlighted responses

• • • “College education is a path to improve incomes and enable our youth to be able to afford Hawaii’s high cost of living. Completing the free FAFSA can help students and families understand that aid is available to help make college more affordable if they choose that path.” Scott Saiki (House)
    • “College should be an opportunity for any student wanting to pursue that pathway. Completing the FAFSA can easily be included in students’ Personal Transition Plan.” Lori Goeas (House)
    • “All students should be required to complete the FAFSA application so they increase their options after high school. Many students are unaware of their opportunities because they didn’t understand the FAFSA form, or they just didn’t know how to fill it out.” Kathy Feldman (House)

The Hawaii State Constitution provides for the “establishment, support and control of a statewide system of public schools,” but does not guarantee quality education. Should the State Constitution be amended to provide quality education as a fundamental right? Should Hawaii students have a constitutional right to a quality education? Please explain your answer. – highlighted responses

• • • “I support an amendment like that and I think it’s more symbolically important than practical. It would indicate that voters viewed this as a priority, but of course there is nothing stopping us from making it a priority right now.” Karl Rhoads (Senate)
    • “Students should have a constitutional right to a quality education. However, they should also have the opportunity to attain that education in whatever environment best meets their needs, whether that be from a traditional public school, public charter school, private school, homeschool or some other form of personalized education.” Duke Aiona (Governor)
    • “​​It’s an interesting question that I would like to see discussed in more depth. Would it mean that a student who attends a school plagued by excessive classroom crowding has grounds to seek admission and attend (at state expense) Punahou or Iolani because they offer a better ‘quality’ education?” Gregg Takayama (House)

What will you do to improve the relationship between the Hawaii State Board of Education and legislature? – highlighted responses

• • • “I support the idea of having the Governor direct the Lieutenant Governor to work directly with the Board of Education (BOE) and Department of Education (DOE) as a liaison and point person to harness the resources of the broader state government to support the DOE and BOE in its mission to educate our children.” Sylvia Luke (Lieutenant Governor)
    • “Push for bills that the BOE wants, encourage dialogue between the two bodies and invite BOE members to participate in the legislative process.” Maile Shimabukuro (Senate)
    • “I’d consider introducing a concurrent resolution in the Senate and the House formally requesting the BOE and Legislature work more closely together on all aspects of public education. We obviously need better communication and more transparency. Being the only state with P-20 education supported by a single governing district for K-12 public education and higher education, the BOE and the UH Board of Regents, respectively, puts us in a unique position. We need to work together to ensure this helps, rather than hinders, the educational community.” Mike Gabbard (Senate)

What leadership actions will you take for the Hawaii Department of Education, University of Hawaii system and employers to work more effectively together? – highlighted responses

• • • “For example, we need more housing for DOE teachers as the cost of living, specifically, housing, is too high. Suppose DOE, HSTA, UH and UHPA worked together with a private builder. In that case, they might be able to develop workforce condos and apartments for educators to help alleviate the pressure on those individuals to work second and third jobs, move to a new job, or worse, out of state, where wages and housing are more in line for educators.” Ian Ross (Senate)
    • “Mandating regionally responsive plans to manage the K-12 to higher ed transition that address workforce needs to ensure jobs for students will help with career pathways. Connecting with community programs and Chambers of Commerce that can facilitate these career pathway bridges are important areas to resource.” Kirstin Kahaloa (House)

College going remains flat, with roughly 50% of recent Hawaii public high school graduates going on to college (2- or 4-year). How do you propose to raise these levels so Hawaii is more competitive with states like California, which has a nearly 65% rate?

• • • “In 1980, the undergraduate tuition per semester at University of Hawaii-Manoa was $250. Today, it’s $5,650, and that’s not including $441 in additional student fees. That’s well above and beyond the rate of inflation. If that $250 tuition in 1980 was actually pegged to the rate of inflation, then it would only be $810 today. So, what accounts for that nearly 700% increase? Well, in part, the State Legislature slashed funding to UH by 26% during the 2008-2009 economic downturn, and that former level of funding was never restored when times later improved. And honestly, that wasn’t the first time this happened. In 1975, 70% of the cost of an undergraduate student’s education at a public university was underwritten by state taxpayers because once upon a time, citizens saw a well-educated workforce as an investment in their own future. Not anymore, apparently. Today, that percentage of public funding has fallen to about 25%.” Ikaika Anderson (Lieutenant Governor)
    • “I’ve been a proponent of the promise program expanding to the UH and targeting majors that will help to meet worker shortage areas in Hawaii. I believe that the UH must be more aggressive in meeting the needs of the larger community.” Nadine Nakamura (House)
    • “By making college education more relevant to Hawaii’s students through programs relating to digital literacy, workforce readiness and career development, Hawaii can provide motivation for more students to go to university to achieve their life goals.” David Tarnas (House)
    • “I believe that every graduating senior should be required to apply for a community college. If they believe that community college is not for them, they can unenroll at the end of the school year.” Adrian Tam (House)