The Board of Education is poised to ask lawmakers to remove salary caps for Hawaii's schools superintendent, the state librarian and various top administrative positions in the Education Department.

The school board, arguing that pay ceilings pose a “;challenge to recruit and fill”; leadership jobs, is preparing legislation to scrap a $150,000 cap set in 2000 for the state's public education leader and a $120,000 limit established in 2001 for the state librarian.

The bill would give the school board “;full authority and flexibility”; to set salaries for those top posts as well as for Hawaii's sole deputy schools superintendent, five assistant superintendents and 15 complex area superintendents, each of whom earn more than $100,000.

Schools Superintendent Pat Hamamoto makes the $150,000 allowed. Librarian Richard Burns could not be reached yesterday for comment as to whether he earns less than the $120,000 limit.

Hawaii law confines the salaries of deputy, assistant and complex-area superintendents to no more than 80 percent of Hamamoto's maximum pay, causing some principals to earn more than their supervisors, education officials say.

In 2006 nearly one-third of Hawaii principals were receiving more money than their bosses at the district level under a 12-month contract implemented for principals a year earlier. Principals belong to the Hawaii Government Employees Association.

School Board Chairman Garrett Toguchi said he knew of at least one principal who took a pay cut to become a complex-area superintendent.

“;I can tell you she (Hamamoto) has had a hard time filling ... positions for various reasons, and pay being one of them,”; he said.

The school board's proposal comes as Gov. Linda Lingle is calling for more than 200 state leaders to forgo $4.1 million in pay hikes because of a projected $1.1 billion budget shortfall. The school board is scheduled to debate the proposal, which has gotten preliminary approval, at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Queen Liliuokalani Building.

School board member Breene Harimoto said Hamamoto's pay is lower than comparable positions at some school districts much smaller than Hawaii's. But he opposes introducing the bill this year because of the economic crisis.

“;The salary cap is a huge hurdle to overcome,”; he said. “;Nevertheless, because of the economic situation, it's kind of hard for us to say that we need to pay more to the top people, to recruit them, but by the way we are going to be laying people off from the bottom. To me there is something wrong with that.”;

Nationally, public school superintendents earned $116,244 on average in the 2005-06 academic year, according to a study by Educational Research Service. Deputy superintendents took in $110,220 on average while assistant superintendents made $99,771, it found.

Hawaii's deputy schools superintendent, Clayton Fujie, earns $120,000, while five assistant superintendents and 15 complex-area superintendents each make $115,000.

Senate Education and Housing Chairman Norman Sakamoto said he would consider raising the salary caps for the schools superintendent and state librarian to give some financial incentive for principals and other educators to take promotions.

But he said he would favor raising the pay ceiling instead of eliminating it.

“;No cap? We don't want to go there,”; said Sakamoto (D, Salt Lake-Foster Village). “;Perhaps it's a good time to look at updating it.”;