Many schools in Honolulu are seeking waivers from a state policy that prevents them from penalizing students who are absent too often. Others are requesting waivers from the school calendar. But even paradise has its problems. A state funding crisis over the past several years and increasing poverty and racial and ethnic diversity have brought typical urban challenges to Honolulu's public schools. Still, educational equity is not the prominent issue it tends to be in the average American city.
Students can attend any school in the state.
In fact, many residents who commute from the far reaches of Oahu to Honolulu each day drop their children at city schools on their way to work. Money for facilities, supplies, teachers' salaries, and state-mandated programs is also distributed equitably, although extra funding is set aside for schools with special needs, such as those with high proportions of students in poverty and those in remote areas with few students and limited local resources. Some educators claim that political clout and skillful maneuvering by elected officials, not financial need, are often the deciding factors in which schools get extra money. Troubled schools are not unique to the city. Many of the schools that receive extra funding because of the high poverty or low achievement of their students are in remote communities and islands.