HONOLULU -- Hawaii lawmakers on Friday advanced a bill to raise the salaries of the schools superintendent, assistant and deputy superintendents and the state librarian.

The bill removes a cap on the salaries of school leaders that has been in effect for almost 10 years.

The Board of Education said it needs to offer higher pay as it searches nationwide for a new superintendent.

With students missing classes because of teacher furloughs and the schools budget slashed, you might think parents would be upset at talk of higher salaries for school officials, but not so.

School parent Debbie Schatz said now is exactly when there should be more money for better school leaders.

"We are looking at a failed system right now. There should not be a cap. We need to have access to everyone who wants to take our education, this system, rework it, find opportunity move forward in a positive direction in this economy," Schatz said.

Pat Hamamoto, Hawaii's last superintendent, who retired at the end of last year made $150,000 a year.

"For Hawaii to be able to attract qualified experienced visionary applicants it is going to be impossible with a $150,000 salary cap," Schatz said.

Board of Education Chairman Garrett Toguchi said the average on the mainland for a comparable position is $250,000.

"Right now, the salary cap for the superintendent['s position makes it lower than the top 25 districts in the country,"" Toguchi said.

The school board said another reason for a pay hike is that four public school principals already make more than the superintendent.

The Senate Education Committee voted to hike the schools superintendents salary to the salary of the Hawaii's highest paid principal, which is now $154,000 a year.

Experts said that $154,000 is not enough to attract a top-level candidate. The bill still has months to change before the end of the session.

The school board said it plans to do a nationwide search for a new superintendent and hopes to hire that superintendent by this fall.