Economy not out of woods yet

The nation got a fairly pyrotechnical jobs report just before the holiday, a payroll figure of 288,000 new hires in June.

For the first time in a long while, the dip in the national unemployment rate was not attributed to people dropping out of the job force. If prognosticators are correct, the jobless rate might start notching up a bit as more newly encouraged people re-enter the workforce.

Meanwhile, here at home, Gov. Neil Abercrombie cut state departments’ discretionary spending by 10 percent, in an abundance of caution. Good. Considering that dip in the U.S. gross domestic product only a few weeks ago, the hats and horns can probably stay in the box, for now.

School’s leadership change a good move

The wholesale change in leadership at Halau Lokahi Public Charter School should instill greater confidence among the supporters the debt-ridden Kalihi school needs to stay on a path toward solvency.

The state Charter School Commission must remain vigilant to ensure that the conditional reprieve it granted to keep the school open results in the bedrock changes necessary to increase enrollment and justify the state’s continued investment in a school that has long struggled to make ends meet — despite the passionate commitment of a core group of administrators, teachers, students and parents.