An independent study recommends annual steps, which are the norm across the country
Posted: January 28, 2026
State lawmakers have introduced a proposal that would help steady Hawaiʻi’s public school teaching workforce by implementing automatic step pay increases, which are the norm in the overwhelming majority of school districts nationwide and were just recommended for island educators in an independent salary study.
“Once the salaries of teachers in the state are adjusted for the cost of living, they are the lowest-paid in the nation,” said the bill, which has been introduced by 33 state House and Senate members.
“Close to half of teachers in Hawaiʻi are leaving the profession or the state altogether within five years of starting, posing a significant problem for students,” the proposal added.
“The purpose of this act is to provide automatic step increases in teacher salaries for each year of satisfactory service completed, subject to available funds,” according to the measure. Right now, step salary increases for teachers can only be bargained at the negotiating table.
Senate Labor Committee Chair Brandon Elefante and five other senators introduced the Senate proposal, SB2391, while House Education Committee Chair Justin Woodson and 26 other representatives introduced the measure in the House, HB1890.
HSTA’s contract already states the following:
The parties recognize that annual incremental step movements are a viable recruiting and retention tool. Teachers who are not at the top of the salary schedule and who have effective evaluations shall move to the next highest step of the corresponding class at the beginning of each school year. Annual incremental step movements are subject to funding.
Recent teacher salary study recommends automatic step increases
An in-depth, independent study of the state’s teacher compensation system, completed last fall, recommended that the employer consider automatic step increases for teachers.
“Automatic step progression is the norm across most states and is strongly linked to teacher expectations of fairness. Hawaiʻi’s negotiated step movement creates confusion and unpredictability. A shift to automatic steps would reinforce trust and potentially improve attrition,” the study found.
The study recommended that the state “work with union partners and the Department of Human Resources Development (DHRD) to discuss incorporating automatic step increases into the collective bargaining agreement.”
The study also said the state needs to increase communication and transparency about salary issues, noting that “many teachers lack clarity on how step and class movement works, or why Hawaiʻi’s system differs from other states.”