Now that the Board of Education has approved the first raises in seven years for executives in Hawaii’s Department of Education, attention naturally turns to the status of the public school system’s chief executive, whose salary remains frozen by state law.

In approving one-time raises for 15 complex-area superintendents, six assistant superintendents and one deputy superintendent, BOE Chairman Don Horner stressed that the educational leaders were being rewarded for their performance. As he put it: "The board is appreciative of the dedication and accomplishment of the management team. The salary adjustments reflect their excellent progress in executing (the DOE’s) strategic plan."

That this same appreciation could not extend to state Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi is a result of the state law in effect since 2001 that caps the superintendent’s salary at $150,000, her current pay. The BOE intends to ask the Legislature to lift the cap when it convenes in January, and we encourage lawmakers to act swiftly to do so.

It’s been well documented over the years that Hawaii’s superintendent is underpaid relative to the leaders of public school systems of comparable size and scope. As far back as 2008, for example, the average pay for superintendents of large, urban school districts was $228,000. That Matayoshi, specifically, deserves a raise after three years on the job is equally evident. In its most recent evaluation, the BOE rated her performance as exceptional, lauding her leadership of the nation’s ninth-largest school district through a period of major reform directly affecting the public schools’ 180,000 students.

But rather than focusing solely on a single individual — exceptional or not — the upcoming legislative debate about lifting the salary cap should include a discussion about the importance of providing a salary framework throughout the DOE’s executive ranks that attracts and retains the best and brightest to lead Hawaii’s public schools while simultaneously imposing clear and attainable benchmarks for improvement and accountability.

Lawmakers have rebuffed attempts over the past five years or so to lift the salary cap, despite evidence that Hawaii’s pay lags in this area and despite well-reasoned arguments that the ongoing freeze deflates salaries throughout the department that merit adjusting.

But times are different now. With an appointed school board rightly highlighting public-school students’ rising standardized test scores, increased enrollment in advanced courses and higher rates of college admission, legislators should be more open to raising the superintendent’s pay as a way to reward performance, keep the right person in the job and recognize the value of a leadership position truly vital to Hawaii’s future.