When per-pupil spending in Hawaiʻi is compared with that of other districts with a similar cost of living, we are nowhere near the top. That's relevant because the cost of living correlates with the cost of doing business and the cost of providing an education.

Some data that may be useful in providing more accurate and nuanced reporting (although it does not break things down by district): http://viz.edbuild.org/maps/2016/cola/states/