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My husband and I would LOVE to move to Hawaii. I am an RN, and he is in refrigeration/draft beer systems. We have 2 children who will be moving with us. Any info on schools??
Would love to know if anyone has moved there recently and expenses incurred.
We have 3 dogs that I know we will have to have things done with from another blog.
Interested in how to move and do this for "free" as someone else has stated in another post....
Michelle-
I believe we're all trying to help you see reality, but with Aloha.
Click on my screen name (Due) and go to my posts; you'll see information that might help.
We also have 3 dogs, but we own our Hawaii house; thus, housing isn't an issue.
The vet work costs (about $1,000 per dog) as previously posted are close. Then add airfare for them.
If you're using Direct Release a vet, which is a Hawaii-approved contractor, must meet you and your dogs at the airport for inspections. Note: the vet must be prepaid for each dog. For more info see this vet's info: Kona Veterinary Service
Everyone sounds like they are discouraging you from moving? I hope you don't feel that way? Anyway there is nothing wrong with dreaming or having the desire to move to Hawai'i ok. But please balance it with responsible planning. My suggestion as someone who has live in Hawai'i as a single male i wouldn't even think of moving back unless i had 20 to 30 thousand saved.
Please have dreams, its important. Most everyone who has lived in Hawai'i was there because of a dream. Its true Hawai'i can be a magical place, but it can also become a nightmare quick. So don't give up. Save more. Move later. It would be a shame if you guys moved here, loved it but had to move back to the mainland because of bad planning or not having enough money in reserve. Good Luck
Everyone sounds like they are discouraging you from moving?
I think you are misunderstanding. Encouraging people to do careful research, and to thoughtfully consider potential issues is a kindness, since so many people get themselves in trouble making a move they were not well equipped for in some regard. Moving to Hawai'i is not like loading up a UHaul trailer and driving over the border to the next state. There are a lot of details that need to be considered. I endeavor to supply some of those details, as accurately as I can, and I know many others do as well.
In my view neither rah-rah boosterism nor "stay where you are" protectionism is appropriate advice here. I think people are capable of making intelligent decisions for themselves if they have enough accurate information. Unfortunately there's a lot of information about moving and living in Hawai'i that can be hard to swallow, and a lot of people have unrealistic fantasies, so just being real can be jarring or seem negative or confrontational, when it's not meant to be anything but straight talk.
In the end it doesn't matter at all what I think about a particular seeker's plans to move to Hawai'i, or what you think, or what anyone else on the forum may think. The only thing that truly matters is what THEY think, after weighing all the evidence available against their particular circumstances.
On the other hand, when there are several red flags apparent in a single post, like moving for no particular reason with kids and dogs but no jobs lined up, then it's entirely natural for people to express their opinions.
...........Interested in how to move and do this for "free" as someone else has stated in another post....
Easy peasy. To move to Hawaii for free, you leave everything you own, and you, the kids, and the dogs all hitchhike to San Diego.
Go out to the beach at sunrise and steal a surfboard for each member of the family and paddle to Hawaii.
The dogs can swim behind you. Or some dogs can learn to stand on a surfboard.
Since I don't think for a second that you are so dumb that you think you can move from where you are to any place else, let alone across an ocean, I suggest that you explain what it was that you meant by moving for "free". It's possible that there is an answer for you, but not when the question is in that form.
I know this doesn't fit the meme, but on almost every list HI schools are ranked right in the middle, or right at the average, for US schools.
I have no dog in this hunt anymore, I just know what a lot of people have said on this forum over the years about their personal experiences. My personal take on it is that the reason private schools are such a huge and important part of the local culture is that the public schools are inadequate to the task.
And there's been a lot of coverage in local journalism about how dismal the school system is. This is just one among many...
Quote:
By the most reliable national measure of math and reading ability, the U.S. Department of Education’s National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), Hawaii’s students have remained among the worst in the U.S. in both math and reading. In 2000, our eighth graders ranked 45th in the nation in mathematics. In 2009, they ranked 44th. In reading, they went from dead last to 44th place.
Graduation rates have also remained virtually unchanged in the past decade—78.9 percent in 2001, 79.3 percent in 2011. (The rate is an optimistic one, using the Hawaii DOE’s own methodology. Education Week, the national paper of record when it comes to education, pins our graduation rate at 65 percent, 38th in the nation.)
The percentage of our students earning college degrees hasn’t gone up at all. In 2000, according to The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, only 13 out of every 100 Hawaii ninth graders managed to graduate from high school on time, go directly to college, return for their second year, and graduate within 150 percent of program time (three years for an associate degree, six years for a bachelor’s). By 2008, that number had actually dropped to 12.5 ninth graders per 100.
I think when you are looking at statistics about public schools, it's important to look at the most current information versus something from an article that's several years old, or that is promoting statistics that are several years old. If the current information backs up the past numbers, that's one thing. But the current numbers show that things are apparently not as bleak as they were in 2011.
The current (2014) figures for Hawai'i from NEAP show that in 2013 Hawaiian students are not significantly different from national public school students, or are above them when it comes to mathematics. If you look at the figures, students have made significant gains since 2009, the year that the article is reporting: State Profiles.net
Likewise, Education Week's 2014 placement of Hawaiian schools right in the middle of US public school rankings are based on more recent figures than the ones quoted in the article.
I won't dispute or argue with anecdotal and personal experience when it comes to Hawaiian schools, and I certainly think there is room for improvement, but I also don't believe every child that attends or goes through the public schools is doomed to failure, or will have a miserable experience.
And, as far as the percentage of students earning college degrees not going up, based on the current costs involved in obtaining a college education, I would be surprised to not find similar trends in many if not most states.
Since you're posting on the general "Hawaii" site, I would guess that you aren't sure about which island you're thinking of moving to?
There are multiple Hawaiian islands to choose from. Oahu is the one with Honolulu, Waikiki and Pearl Harbor. It's the one you see in Hawaii 5-0, Magnum PI, etc. It's also the most expensive one to live on by a long shot as well as the most crowded and urban. However, it also has the most employment. Then there is Maui, also an expensive island to live on, although less crowded and less jobs. The Island of Hawaii (as opposed to the state of Hawaii) is frequently called the "Big Island" to keep from being confused with the state. It is also, well, a big island. Hawaii island is almost two separate islands since the two sides are so different as well as too far to commute comfortably. There is also the island of Kauai, rather insular, less crowded, expensive to live on, not too many jobs. Molokai is remote, not many jobs, not a lot of population density, Lanai is pretty much all owned by one person now, it might be transformed somewhat because of that, not sure. Not too much population, not a lot of jobs. Niihau you're not allowed to visit and nobody lives on Kahoolawe.
Given your original location of the mid-west, the amount of children and pets, I'd not suggest Oahu as a relocation spot. Too expensive and too crowded. Maui maybe if you could find work before moving, but it is expensive there, too. Kauai, not a good choice due to expense and lack of employment opportunities. Molokai & Lanai, too remote, not enough employment opportunities. Niihau & Kahoolawe aren't possibilities. That pretty much leaves the Big Island and of the two sides of the Big Island, the Hilo side is more likely to have employment as well as being less expensive to live. So, just in general, I'd suggest the Big Island and between Hilo and Honokaa since I've heard Laupahoehoe charter school is good and I've heard Pauuilo school is good. There are also some good charter schools in Hilo, too. As an RN, you could possibly find employment before moving, contact the hospitals and see. If you find employment, that will pin point the relocation area.
The least expensive way to move to Hawaii is to not bring much "stuff". It is very expensive to ship everything and frequently what you bring isn't suitable nor will there be room for it. Polyester clothing is miserable to wear in Hawaii, don't bring any of that. Toss the winter stuff. Toss most if not all of the dress up stuff. Suits and ties are out. Leather has mildew problems, don't bring much of that. Antiques fall apart, leave those on the mainland. If you can commandeer a relative's attic and store most of your stuff there, that would save tons on moving it and if things didn't work out, you'd still be able to go back and put your life back together again.
Finding a rental with three dogs is going to be a problem. Can someone dog sit for you until you get relocated and find a place they will fit? Are you planning on buying a house or renting?
What other post mentioned moving to Hawaii for "free"? Other than the military or an employer paying to move folks over, I'm not sure how it would be done? Very few employers pay to move over new employees since there are so many people willing to make sacrifices to live and work in Hawaii. Usually they will only do that if the new employee has a skill set very much in demand and now that there is a nursing college in the islands, there are now a lot more medically educated folks for employers to choose from that don't need to be moved over here.
Check the airlines for air fares, although the prices aren't stable and are prone to change. Check Craig's List for rental prices, but for Hilo/Honomu/Laupahoehoe/Pauuilo/Honokaa figure about $1,200 - $2,200 a month rental, $300 a month electric, water about $60, add in whatever for your cellphone, $150 for cable, gas is about $4.50 a gallon but that can change. There is limited bus service although there is some. You'll need at least one car, so figure those expenses in. Take whatever your food budget is now and double it. For the first year, add in several hundred a month in "stuff acquisition" since you'll need new and different stuff since you're in a new and different environment.
So, your basic first challenges will be employment and finding a place that will rent to you with three dogs. The ongoing challenge will be fitting it all in your budget after you get situated.
Think you're confusing Hawaii as being the 50th State. Breakdown has Hawaii at #29.
Back away from the keyboard, and stop OD'ing on the okolehao.
That makes three
Thank you, I thought I was reading something wrong.
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