Attorney Clare Hanusz was surprised by the reaction after she was quoted briefly at the tail end of a newspaper story reporting annual tuition increases at Hawaii private schools. Hanusz’ son attends one of the three Oahu private schools that will charge $20,000 or more starting next school year, and she explained that he’ll be switching to public school because she and her husband, a college professor, are confident the middle-schooler still will receive a good education. Financially, the decision frees the family to travel and save for college.

"Just from sharing that little bit of our thought process, I heard from quite a few people, by phone, by email, who just kind of found me and wanted to talk about this. It seems to be a choice that more people who value education are making, or at least considering — parents who have good jobs and are well-educated themselves," said Hanusz. "Some described feeling something like peer pressure to automatically send their kids to private school, as if they’d be letting them down if they didn’t, even when there are perfectly good public schools available."

Three families she heard from opted for Kaimuki Middle School over Punahou and ‘Iolani, even though their high-achieving children were accepted to at least one of those illustrious institutions. Hanusz and her husband, University of Hawaii political science professor Nevzat Soguk, decided on Niu Valley Middle School; the Hawaii Kai home they just purchased is in that school district. Their 10-year-old daughter will advance from Noelani Elementary School, a public school in Manoa, their old neighborhood, and their 12-year-old son will transfer from Mid-Pacific Institute, which like Punahou and ‘Iolani will break the $20,000 threshold on annual tuition next school year.

Hanusz didn’t make the decision lightly, and it wasn’t all about money. She was impressed by Niu Valley’s rigorous International Baccalaureate curriculum and extensive extracurricular offerings, and by the energetic faculty and staff, but acknowledged that the campus facilities are no match for Mid-Pac.

"The school isn’t perfect by any means, but no school is," said Hanusz, noting that the feedback she received after speaking up about her family’s decision reinforced how important it is for satisfied public-school parents to publicly share their insights. "I hope we can have a broader community dialogue that helps families make informed decisions about public schools as a high-quality option."

The Hawaii affiliate of the national nonprofit group Parents for Public Schools is starting just such a conversation, kicking off its "1,000 Family Voices" campaign to raise awareness about the successes and challenges of the state’s public schools. The group is gathering information to present to Gov. Neil Abercrombie, key state lawmakers, Board of Education and Department of Education leaders and the heads of the teachers’ and principals’ unions. (See box, Page E5.)

The group’s president, Lois Yamauchi, a professor of educational psychology in the University of Hawaii College of Education, has always sent her two children to public schools. Like Hanusz, she believes that a vibrant public education system builds a stronger democratic society, and that parents must mobilize at the grassroots to achieve the best for their children and the broader community.

Yamauchi also stresses the importance of having public-school teachers and principals, DOE administrators, BOE members and state lawmakers — all of whom exert power over the taxpayer-funded public education system — enroll their own children. "It’s like if you work for Ford but drive a Toyota. It just doesn’t compute. When people send their own children to public schools they are making a personal investment the value of which cannot be overstated. All students benefit from that heightened engagement."

As private-school costs rise year after year, it’s only natural that some families will have to reassess their options, Yamauchi said. "Honolulu is large enough that there will always be enough very wealthy people to fill the most expensive schools, but who might struggle are the middle-class families, students who are high achievers, very bright, very engaged. Their families are sacrificing a lot to pay tuition. What we’re saying is: Don’t overlook the public schools. You’ll be pleasantly surprised."

For example, a Mililani High School senior was Hawaii’s only finalist in the prestigious 2014 Intel Science Talent Search, half of Hawaii’s Presidential Scholar semifinalists this year are from public high schools, Washington Middle School’s champion math and chess teams routinely best their private- and public-school competitors and robotics teams from Waialua High School, McKinley High School and Highlands Intermediate have gained national renown, to name just a few recent newsworthy examples.

To be sure, private-school students also continue to excel in a broad expanse of academic, athletic and artistic pursuits. And Oahu’s most expensive schools — Punahou ($20,700 next school year), ‘Iolani ($20,100) and Mid-Pacific Institute ($20,000) — emphasized that they provide exceptional learning environments for a diverse array of students, fueling lifelong opportunities and support networks that exceed the price of admission. Demand remains very strong, among new students eager to enter the schools and current students who are continuing to attend; all three will be fully enrolled next year, representatives said. Punahou, ‘Iolani and Mid-Pac also have increased their financial-aid budgets — about 20 percent, 21 percent and 25 percent of students receive need-based financial aid, respectively. Moreover, the schools devote substantial resources beyond tuition — from endowments, grants and institutional fundraising — that benefit all students, including those not officially on financial aid.

"We do every single thing we can do every year to control costs while simultaneously enhancing the educational experience for students," said Mid-Pacific President Paul Turnbull. "We are very sensitive to the needs of our hardworking, tuition-paying parents. We can honestly say to them that we are committed to their children far beyond graduation and that diploma is worth every penny."

The many ardent private-school parents would agree, no doubt, although those pennies certainly add up.

Most Hawaii private schools are raising tuition from 3 percent to 7 percent next school year, a fairly typical range. Assuming a 5 percent annual tuition increase, a kindergartner enrolling at $20,000 in 2014-15 would pay $35,915 for his or her senior year in 2026-27. The full K-12 experience would top $350,000.

Still, even the most prestigious private schools here charge less than in the continental United States, where the median this school year was $22,654; 30 mainland high schools charged more than $40,000 a year, according to the National Association of Independent Schools. And most Hawaii private schools charge far less than Punahou, ‘Iolani and Mid-Pac, according to the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, although those large institutions garner the most attention.

Nonetheless, private-school enrollment in Hawaii has dropped in recent years, although the percentage of students attending remains the highest in the U.S. and double the national average. Of the 220,348 school-age children in Hawaii last school year, 183,251, or 83 percent, attended public schools and 37,097, or 17 percent, attended private ones. That private-school figure is down from 39,555 in 2006-07, according to the Hawaii Council of Private Schools.

Hanusz, citing the 2009 book "Going Against the Grain: When Professionals in Hawaii Choose Public Schools Instead of Private Ones," noted that the reasons for Hawaii’s high private-school enrollment extend far beyond considerations of educational quality, rooted in the islands’ history as a monarchy where class structures and social standing were firmly entrenched. Overlaid are issues of racial, ethnic and religious identity that, although diluted through the generations, continue to resonate.

"As that book documents so well, Hawaii is unique in the way schools developed, and the legacy of that is very complex. Discussing education here touches on a lot of issues that people are uncomfortable talking about, but I think it’s a conversation we need to have, and that’s what the people who reached out to me were saying, too,"she said. "High-quality public education is the great equalizer in our society. I believe in it. I’m confident the schools in our district are good. So why wouldn’t I send my own kids? Yes, it’s partly about the money, but it’s also about more than that. For me, it’s important to walk the talk."