Hawaii spends slightly more on each public school student than the national average each year but far less on general administration than the national norm, according to a new report from the Census Bureau.
The Public Education Finances report was issued Wednesday and covers the 2015 fiscal year. The report shows that per-pupil expenditures vary widely across the states, from a high of $21,206 in New York to a low of $6,575 in Utah annually.
It pegged Hawaii’s overall “current per pupil spending” at $12,855, above the national average of $11,392. That figure includes salaries, wages and benefits, as well as spending for support services, including administration and pupil support. It does not include long-term costs of capital improvements.
Spending on “general administration” by Hawaii’s public school system was just a third of the national average, at $70 per pupil per year, as compared to $218 across the country. The category covers executive administration, including the superintendent and Board of Education.
“The Hawaii State Department of Education is the only public school system in the nation led by a single superintendent and Board of Education, which is often overlooked,” said Amy Kunz, chief financial officer and senior assistant superintendent. “This could be a contributing factor as to why we have the lowest per pupil cost in the nation for general administrative support. However, we remain the ninth largest district in the nation.
PER PUPIL SPENDING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Hawaii’s spending per pupil in public schools is slightly above the national average for the 2015 fiscal year, but general administrative expenditures are much lower:
>> Overall current spending:
National average: $11,392 | Hawaii: $12,855
>> Instructional salaries, wages and benefits:
National average: $6,903 | Hawaii: $7,554
>> General administration:
National average: $218 | Hawaii: $70
>> School administration:
National average: $626 | Hawaii: $871
>> Pupil support:
National average: $651 | Hawaii $1,239
Source: “Public Education Finances: 2105” report issued June 2017 by the U.S. Census Bureau
“We definitely strive for efficiency and support of schools and invest in the students to be college and career ready,” she added in an emailed statement in response to a request for comment on the report. “And we ensure there is alignment of our funds to our Strategic Plan to drive the improved results seen over the last several years.”
Hawaii’s educational system is largely funded with state dollars, while school districts in other states rely on local government for much of their revenue.
While general administration costs were low in Hawaii, school-level administrative spending was higher than the national norm, at $871 per pupil compared to the U.S. average of $626. That category covers “office of principal services,” according to the report.
Expenditures on instructional salaries and wages in Hawaii, when divided by the student population, exceeded the national norm but not by much. Hawaii spent $7,554 on that category, which includes benefits, versus the national average of $6,903.
The only category in which Hawaii dramatically outpaced the national average was in “pupil support services.” Hawaii’s public schools spent $1,239, nearly double the national average of $651, on pupil support. That category includes record keeping, student accounting, student appraisal, social work, counseling, medical, nursing, psychological and speech services.
The data were collected in a census of all 15,084 public school systems in the United States by the Census Bureau’s Education Finance Branch.
To read the report, visit bit.ly/2rzkqBS
