Opening Day

The 2010 session of the Hawaii Legislature opened on Tuesday, 2010-01-19. In fat years, legislators treat opening day as an occasion to celebrate. This year, budget cuts impend, and many once reckless spenders accept the need to prioritize and reduce expenditures. Harriet spoke with Representatives Della Belatti, Gene Ward, Lynn Finnegan, and Mele Carroll and with Senator Will Espero, who all acknowledged the new financial realities. In anticipation of an opportunity to testify in support of a bill which would mandate load shedding by the DOE, Harriet has prepared the following recapitulaton of the revenue figures of the Hawaii DOE.

Year
1) Total Revenues (unadjusted dollars), in thousands
2) Total Revenues (2008 adjusted dollars), in thousands
3) Enrollment
4) $/student (unadjusted dollars)
5) $/student (2008 adjusted dollars)

Year______1_________2_______3________4_______5___

1991__$1000848___$1563002___174747___$5727___$8943
1992__$1067810___$1619005___177448___$6017___$9122
1993__$1140173___$1678370___180410___$6319___$9301
1994__$1177915___$1689988___183795___$6408___$8857
1995__$1201888___$1682235___187180___$6421___$8987
1996__$1215924___$1652399___187653___$6479___$8804
1997__$1282702___$1714010___189887___$6755___$9026
1998__$1328572___$1747346___188069___$7064___$9290
1999__$1404897___$1799152___185860___$7558___$11301
2000__$1682330__$2083599___184360___$9125___$11301
2001__$1890806__$2304922___184546___$10245__$12488
2002__$2078876__$2474787___183829___$11308__$13461
2003__$2138137__$2497875___183609___$11645__$13604
2004__$2274166__$2571917___183185___$12414__$14039
2005__$2703718__$2957166___182818___$14789__$16175
2006__$2985596__$3185822___180728___$16519__$17626
2007__$2950803
Taxpayers spent twice as much, per pupil, in 2006 to operate the Hawaii DOE as they spent in 1991 as measured by inflation-adjusted total revenues per pupil.

"Total revenues" differs from "current expenditures" by the amount spent on capital improvements (e.g., classroom construction) and retirees' pensions and health care, among other items. Compare Table 185 Current expenditures per pupil in average daily attendance, Digest of Education Statistics.

Sources: NCES Digest of Education Statistics
NCES Public Education Finance Survey
Inflation calculator: http://www.westegg.com/inflation/