Final pick for permanent Hawaii public schools superintendent expected Thursday

As the search for the next permanent state superintendent of Hawaii’s public school system comes to a head Thursday, some say it will boil down to this: Which finalist will benefit the keiki most — the lauded mainland education administrator who can bring new perspectives, the career Hawaii educator with an extensive state-level leadership resume, or the local education veteran who already has served as interim superintendent through some of the toughest moments of the pandemic?