HSTA urges tax increase to help fund education

The union representing Hawaii’s public school teachers is lobbying for a tax hike to establish a dedicated funding stream for a host of education proposals, including higher teacher pay, air-conditioned classrooms and more public preschools.

Hawaii State Teachers Association President Corey Rosenlee said the union is proposing an increase of 1 percentage point — to 5 percent from 4 percent — to the general excise tax, which is assessed on all business receipts in the state.

HSTA estimates the increase would generate an estimated $750 million annually, which the union wants to see support a 10-point omnibus education bill that will be introduced in the upcoming legislative session. The union said a public opinion research poll it sponsored shows widespread support for a tax increase to support the individual parts of the plan.

“We always talk in Hawaii about needing to improve education, and we don’t do anything about it,” Rosenlee said in an interview at HSTA’s Honolulu offices. “It’s time we say education must be a priority. So what HSTA is doing is we are providing a solution. We’re taking the best research from across the world and across the country and, after talking to our teachers, saying, ‘Listen, these are the things we know are good for children. These are good for education. Are we willing to invest in our children?’”

Hawaii is the 10th-largest school district in the nation, educating more than 180,400 students. Although the state Department of Education has the largest operating budget among state departments, with more than $1.5 billion allocated from the state’s general fund for the current fiscal year, its budget has remained relatively flat since 2008.

The proposed legislation is still in draft form, but HSTA said strategies in it to strengthen public education will include calling for more competitive salaries for teachers, capping class sizes, ending high-stakes testing, expanding public preschool, improving facilities, increasing time spent teaching the arts and increasing supports for special-education teachers.

“These are basic things, things people in Hawaii have been saying we need for a very long time,” Rosenlee said.

Regarding teacher pay, he said the union is seeking salaries comparable to mainland districts with similar cost of living for its 13,500 members.

“We’re hoping to create a system where we have enough funds to actually increase teacher pay, and then we can negotiate for that contract,” he said.

While Hawaii’s starting pay for teachers — $44,538 for a newly hired licensed teacher with a bachelor’s degree — appears competitive on paper, the state consistently ranks at or near the bottom of national salary reports when cost of living is factored in.

“We have a huge crisis in Hawaii when it comes to teacher pay. It’s come to a point now where we do not have enough teachers to fill our classrooms,” Rosenlee said. “We have vacancies that can only be filled with (substitute teachers), and this is not good for our students. Almost 50 percent of all new hires are emergency hires.”

He said research studies show the importance of having high-quality teachers in the classroom.

“A good teacher makes a big difference,” he said. “And we have a lot of great teachers in our system, and you have to think, What would happen if they didn’t have to work a second job? What would happen if they had enough supplies, if they had smaller class sizes, if they were in an air-conditioned room, if they didn’t have to worry about the roof dripping?”

The bill also calls for a loan forgiveness program for college students pursuing teaching degrees.

“For retention, especially in high-needs areas, we’re looking at student loan forgiveness to encourage students to go into those high-needs areas such as special education, vocational education, math and science,” he said.

Rosenlee, who was elected president over the summer, acknowledges a tax increase will be a tough sell. The GET has not been raised statewide since 1965, and, given its broad application and regressive nature, proposed increases elicit public outcry. (A temporary half-percent surcharge for Honolulu’s rail system went into effect in 2007 for Oahu only.)

The GET is Hawaii’s largest source of revenue and accounts for more than 40 percent of the state’s total tax collections. Hawaii collected $3.05 billion in GET revenues statewide for the fiscal year that ended June 30.

The union’s opinion poll shows residents agree funding for public education should be increased but are split on a GET increase for education in general. Support increased when residents were asked about specific proposals in the bill.

HSTA said Senate Education Chairwoman Michelle Kidani (D, Mililani-Wai­kele-Kunia) has agreed to introduce the bill. Both Kidani and House Education Chairman Roy Takumi (D, Pearl City-Waipio-Pearl Harbor) were out of town and unavailable for comment.

State Rep. Takashi Ohno, a former elementary teacher and vice chairman of the House Education Committee, said lawmakers have differing opinions about raising the GET, as evidenced by the controversy over extending Oahu’s surcharge for rail.

“It’s not straightforward. It’s very fluid decision-making, especially with the GET because we’re talking about an issue that every constituent of ours is affected by,” said Ohno (D, Nuuanu-Li­liha-Alewa Heights). “I don’t think it’s dead on arrival,” he said of HSTA’s proposal, adding, “I don’t doubt that all members here want to see a successful school system. The question is how to get there. And if funding is one of the issues, I think all the options should be on the table.”