Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Hawai'i Free Press

Current Articles | Archives

Sunday, July 24, 2016
How Much Money Does Hawaii Spend Per Student?
By Grassroot Institute @ 9:35 AM :: 4791 Views :: Education K-12

How Much Money Does Hawaii Spend Per Student?

by Joe Kent, Grassroot Institute, July 23, 2016

When Aaron Leif was younger, his parents wanted to send him to a better school. However, in Hawaii, parents aren’t allowed to send their children to a different school unless they get a rare district exemption.

His parents tried for years to get an exemption to go to a better school, with no luck. Finally, after many years, Aaron was granted an exemption, but only at the end of his senior year. By then, it was too late to find a better option.

Of course, the private school option was simply too expensive at an average of $8,000 per year. But Hawaii gives public schools almost $12,000 per student per year. What if that money were given to local families instead, so they could spend it on the education of their choice?

A new program popping up in five states could do just that. The program, called Education Savings Accounts, would give public money to parents which could be spent on public or private education.

Parents who join the program can spend the money on many forms of education including public schools, charter schools, private schools, home-based learning or any number of educational goods or services.

Some people may worry that implementing the program in Hawaii would take money away from public schools. However, in an odd way, the program could actually provide more money for public schools.

As students leave public schools, taking the money with them, a portion of the money stays with the public school. That means the school would have more money to spend on fewer students.

By setting the program at 75% of the per-pupil funding — leaving 25% with the public school for each student that enrolls — Hawaii’s Department of Education would receive more money per student.

That means Education Savings Accounts could provide more money for Hawaii public schools, more money for private schools, and more money for families looking to give their child a premium education.

Joe Kent, Vice President of Research and Development, interviewed Aaron Lief, Grassroot analyst, to learn more about ESAs. Listen to the full interview here:

Links

TEXT "follow HawaiiFreePress" to 40404

Register to Vote

2aHawaii

Aloha Pregnancy Care Center

AntiPlanner

Antonio Gramsci Reading List

A Place for Women in Waipio

Ballotpedia Hawaii

Broken Trust

Build More Hawaiian Homes Working Group

Christian Homeschoolers of Hawaii

Cliff Slater's Second Opinion

DVids Hawaii

FIRE

Fix Oahu!

Frontline: The Fixers

Genetic Literacy Project

Grassroot Institute

Habele.org

Hawaii Aquarium Fish Report

Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Hawaii Catholic TV

Hawaii Christian Coalition

Hawaii Cigar Association

Hawaii ConCon Info

Hawaii Debt Clock

Hawaii Defense Foundation

Hawaii Family Forum

Hawaii Farmers and Ranchers United

Hawaii Farmer's Daughter

Hawaii Federation of Republican Women

Hawaii History Blog

Hawaii Jihadi Trial

Hawaii Legal News

Hawaii Legal Short-Term Rental Alliance

Hawaii Matters

Hawaii Military History

Hawaii's Partnership for Appropriate & Compassionate Care

Hawaii Public Charter School Network

Hawaii Rifle Association

Hawaii Shippers Council

Hawaii Together

HiFiCo

Hiram Fong Papers

Homeschool Legal Defense Hawaii

Honolulu Navy League

Honolulu Traffic

House Minority Blog

Imua TMT

Inouye-Kwock, NYT 1992

Inside the Nature Conservancy

Inverse Condemnation

July 4 in Hawaii

Land and Power in Hawaii

Lessons in Firearm Education

Lingle Years

Managed Care Matters -- Hawaii

MentalIllnessPolicy.org

Missile Defense Advocacy

MIS Veterans Hawaii

NAMI Hawaii

Natatorium.org

National Parents Org Hawaii

NFIB Hawaii News

NRA-ILA Hawaii

Obookiah

OHA Lies

Opt Out Today

Patients Rights Council Hawaii

Practical Policy Institute of Hawaii

Pritchett Cartoons

Pro-GMO Hawaii

RailRipoff.com

Rental by Owner Awareness Assn

Research Institute for Hawaii USA

Rick Hamada Show

RJ Rummel

School Choice in Hawaii

SenatorFong.com

Talking Tax

Tax Foundation of Hawaii

The Real Hanabusa

Time Out Honolulu

Trustee Akina KWO Columns

Waagey.org

West Maui Taxpayers Association

What Natalie Thinks

Whole Life Hawaii