Pay Raise: Hawaiʻi Schools Superintendent To Make $315K

Hawaiʻi school superintendent Keith Hayashi received top marks from the state education board and a 7% raise during his annual evaluation on Thursday, bringing his pay to more than $315,000. The salary bump makes Hayashi one of Hawaiʻi’s 50 highest-paid state officials, according to Civil Beat’s salary database. He now earns nearly $100,000 more than Gov. Josh Green. Under his current contract, he qualifies for a 5% to 8% raise every year. Board members have previously argued that compensation for the superintendent and other top school leaders haven’t kept pace with their mainland counterparts, possibly making it harder to attract and retain talent. On average, pay for top leaders in the education department is 20% below the national market midpoint, according to a board memo last year. Going into Thursday’s meeting, Hayashi’s salary was $294,674 after the board approved his four-year contract and a $45,000 raise last fall.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.