Great News— after years of efforts, we finally have the opportunity to vote to fund our schools!
Our church voted its support for equal opportunity in education for all Hawai‘i students. And now our Social Justice Council has joined the Fund Our Hawai‘i Schools Coalition. Now each member and friend of the church is invited to join the coalition”
Click the titles of these helpful documents to view or download PDFs:
Ballot Measure Flyer
Objections and Responses
Visit here for more information
Click here to sign up. There are no dues, but it will greatly help if sign up as a member to stand for schools, email your friends, join sign-waving, attend events (info will follow) and/or donate.
And here is your personal invitation to join:
Dear Members and Friends of the First Unitarian Church of Honolulu,
Of the 105 Hawai‘i primary candidates who responded to our school funding survey, 77% say they will encourage their supporters to vote for the measure! 97% said that the teacher shortage is a serious problem. Our Parents for Public Schools of Hawai‘i members tell us what they love most about Hawai‘i schools are our teachers. Parents for Public Schools of Hawai‘i was founded eight years ago to support equal access to quality education for each child. So, we are now at work to generate support and we invite you to join with us in an informal coalition to support the education funding “Con Am” ballot measure:
“Shall the legislature be authorized to establish, as provided by law, a surcharge on investment real property to be used to support public education?”
YES, we should support the education funding constitutional amendment (ConAm) ballot measure! And here is why:
1. Hawai‘i is the only state that does not fund schools through property taxes.
2. Hawai‘i spends the lowest % of county and state funds on education in the U.S.
3. Adjusted for cost of living, Hawai‘i ranks 45th in the nation in per-pupil spending.
4. When adjusted for cost of living, Hawai‘i teachers are paid the least of all states.
5. Last year over 1000 Hawai‘i classrooms had no permanent teacher.
6. Teachers gain expertise over time, yet Hawai‘i has the highest teacher turnover in the country.
7. Quality teachers have a lasting effect on students’ development and achievement.
8. Hawai‘i has the lowest property taxes in the U.S.
9. Low property taxes attract investment from off-island, increasing prices for residents.
10. Raising property taxes on investment properties brings speculator and millionaire support to schools.
What does it mean to join the Fund Our Hawai‘i Schools Coalition?
We will use your name in our outreach communications, whether you join as an organization or as an individual. No membership fee is required, but our mission will benefit from monetary and other donations. Hosting or helping at house parties, organizations offering meeting space, helping at events, distributing flyers, wearing T-shirts, writing to or speaking with your friends, posting in social media and donations are some ways you could help.
Aloha,
Deborah Bond-Upson
Fund Our Hawai‘i Schools/ Parents for Public Schools of Hawai‘i
Please visit our website for more information www.PPSHI.org/FUND
Some of the research on our website comes via the Hawaii State Teachers Association.
We are grateful to HSTA for their leadership in addressing funding for our public schools.
BALLOT MEASURE TO FUND EDUCATION