The House Finance Committee OKs bills to help recruit, retain educators
Posted: March 4, 2026
Hawaiʻi public school teachers could get up to $25,000 of their college loans repaid under a new program, and National Board Certified Teachers would see their annual bonuses increase under proposals that passed the state House Finance Committee this week.
The HSTA appreciates the support of House Finance Chair Chris Todd, the committee’s vice chair, Jenna Takenouchi, and the committee members for passing these proposals. The loan forgiveness and NBCT bonus measures have successfully passed their final committee in the House. They will next move on to a full House floor vote before crossing over to the Senate for further consideration.
HB1811 HD1 establishes the Educator Student Loan Repayment Program to repay qualified student loans for Hawaiʻi educators who meet eligibility requirements. Under the new program, educators who complete five consecutive years of full-time teaching would receive up to $25,000 to help pay down their student loans.
In written testimony, state Schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi said, “Targeted loan repayment programs can help to both attract new candidates, with the promise of mitigating financial burden to enter the profession, as well as retain them through required years of service.”
Hayashi said that a loan repayment program “should significantly relieve the financial burden of student loans for teachers.”
Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association President Osa Tui, Jr. submitted written testimony that said the bill creates “a powerful incentive for long-term commitment to the teaching profession.”
“The high cost of living in Hawaiʻi, coupled with the considerable burden of student loan debt, makes it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain qualified public educators,” Tui added.
“This approach mirrors the successful model used for healthcare professionals in our state. Just as the Hawaiʻi Healthcare Education Loan Repayment program has been an effective tool for workforce retention by mitigating the financial burden of educational debt, this program will provide a similar lifeline for our educators. By investing in this proven strategy, the state can stabilize the educator workforce, ensuring that educational quality is not compromised by financial instability,” Tui said.
Rain Yong, a teacher at Ka Waihona o ka Naʻauao, a Hawaiian-focused charter school located in Nānākuli on Oʻahu, said, “Teachers in Hawaiʻi face one of the highest costs of living in the nation while working in a profession that does not always reflect that reality in compensation. The financial strain of student loans adds to an already challenging situation, making it difficult for educators to remain in the profession long term.”
“If we want to recruit and retain high-quality educators, we must create meaningful pathways toward financial stability and debt relief. Supporting teachers in becoming debt-free is not just an investment in individuals; it is an investment in the strength and stability of our entire public education system,” Yong said.
HIDOE noted that educators may currently qualify for federal loan-forgiveness programs, such as the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program or the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. These programs have much more restrictive requirements, lower loan repayment amounts, and provide less certainty, given the current federal administration’s stance on funding education programs.
Annual NBCT bonuses would increase from the current $5,000
The House Finance Committee also advanced HB1893, which would hike the annual bonus for teachers who maintain current national board certification. The exact amount of how much of an increase from the current $5,000 yearly bonus would be approved in the bill still needs to be determined by lawmakers. The proposal is a direct result of a new business item that passed HSTA’s State Convention in 2023 calling for higher bonuses for NBC educators, something HSTA has advocated for at the Legislature starting in the 2024 session.
National Board Certification is widely recognized as the most respected professional credential in K-12 education. It requires a rigorous process of self-reflection and assessment that significantly improves teaching practice and student outcomes.
Tui, HSTA’s president, said in written testimony, “By doubling the annual incentive, this bill acknowledges the immense dedication required to achieve and maintain this elite certification. It provides a meaningful financial reward that helps our most accomplished educators offset Hawaiʻi’s high cost of living.”
“This increase is also a critical retention tool. Incentivizing board certification encourages our best teachers to stay in the classroom here in Hawaiʻi rather than seeking opportunities elsewhere,” Tui added.
“We also strongly support the clarification that our public charter school educators are fully eligible for these incentives. All public school students deserve access to teachers who have met these high national standards, regardless of whether they attend a departmental or charter school,” Tui said. The bill clarifies that charter school teachers are eligible for the financial incentives.
There are currently nearly 400 NBCTs in Hawaiʻi and roughly another 100 teachers who are candidates for national board accreditation. Those numbers include private school teachers who would not be eligible for these bonuses funded by taxpayers for public and charter school educators.
Kacie Seitz, a National Board Certified Teacher serving as curriculum coordinator and enrichment teacher for grades 3–5 at Kamaliʻi Elementary on Maui, submitted testimony in strong support of the bill.
“I pursued National Board Certification because I wanted to become the most reflective, responsive, and accomplished teacher I could be for my students. The process transformed my practice. It required me to analyze student work deeply, document growth, and examine how my instructional decisions impacted learners,” Seitz said.
She said doubling the NBCT annual bonus is more than just a bonus.
“It is a meaningful retention strategy. For accomplished teachers, this increase can be the difference between staying in Hawaiʻi’s classrooms or seeking more financially sustainable options elsewhere. When experienced, highly trained teachers leave, students lose stability, mentorship, and instructional expertise. When they stay, students benefit from continuity, deep knowledge of community, and sustained relationships,” Seitz added.
Logan Okita, a National Board Certified Teacher at Nimitz Elementary on Oʻahu, wrote that her certification progress “not only improved my practice in the classroom and my reflection to improve student achievement, but it also prompted my leadership journey.”
Okita serves as vice president of the HSTA, the union representing more than 13,000 public and charter school teachers across Hawaiʻi.
“When I have thought about leaving education or have been frustrated with the system, the reflective process of certification has helped me to see the impact I have as an educator and what I can do to feel refreshed and continue,” Okita said.
“Every student in Hawaiʻi deserves to be taught by a teacher who has demonstrated excellence and is committed to continued growth,” she added.
Cindy Deuz, a National Board Certified Teacher at Red Hill Elementary on Oʻahu, wrote that she has “become more reflective and purposeful in my instructional practices” after gaining national certification.
“Hawaiʻi’s National Board incentive program was once among the most competitive in the nation. It is no longer. States like Maryland now offer $10,000 or more annually for NBCTs — plus additional bonuses for those who teach in high-need schools — and have seen dramatic results: Maryland experienced a 980 percent increase in teachers newly earning Board certification after strengthening its incentives. Hawaiʻi has not seen comparable growth in recent years, and that gap has real consequences for students,” Deuz said.
Hawaiʻi offers NBCT educators an additional $5,000 a year if they teach at schools designated as hard-to-fill or high-turnover.
Darice Carvalho, a newly National Board Certified Teacher at Waimea Elementary on Hawaiʻi Island, said the research behind this investment is compelling.
“Students taught by National Board Certified Teachers gain one to two months of additional learning per school year compared to peers taught by non-certified teachers. In Mississippi, kindergarteners with an NBCT literacy teacher were 31 percent more likely to reach literacy proficiency. And NBCTs leave the profession at one-third the rate of their peers — a retention advantage that every Hawaiʻi district needs,” Carvalho said in written testimony.
The HSTA, in collaboration with Kamehameha Schools’ Hoʻolaukoa Educational Systems and Strategies, offers NEA Jump Start sessions each summer to support candidates as they navigate the complex national certification process.
A face-to-face cohort will meet at HSTA’s Honolulu headquarters for three days from July 8 to 10. A virtual cohort will meet in four-hour sessions over four days, from July 20 to 23.
For more information and to register, click here.