BOE approves
need-based budget
The Legislature should
By Debra Barayuga
prove education is the priority,
the board says
Star-BulletinIf state leaders want education to be a priority, they will have to fund it.
That's the message the state Board of Education will give the Legislature, the governor and the Department of Budget and Finance.
"We want to be proactive, take them at their word that education is important, and they must adequately fund it," said school board Chairwoman Karen Knudsen.
The board last night approved an ambitious budget for the 1999-2001 fiscal biennium that was proposed by schools Superintendent Paul LeMahieu and is needs-driven, rather than money-driven.
"He's looking at it from an expert's point of view as opposed to folks mostly interested in balancing the state budget," Knudsen said.
LeMahieu is asking for $796 million the first year and $794 million in the second year -- nearly $90 million more annually than the current budget.
In the proposed budget are items that will enable the schools to comply with Felix consent decree mandates to improve services for children with special needs and disabilities, implement the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards and develop an assessment and accountability system.
It will also provide equipment, books and staff for three new schools and allow for the hiring of badly needed clerical, custodial and security personnel.
Board member Garrett Toguchi cast the only dissenting vote, saying he believed there should be more discussion on specific budget items and on whether existing funds are being spent in the best way. If not, funds could be reallocated rather than asking for additional money,he said.
Also, while the budget addresses the shortage of certified special education teachers, some of the proposed items could cause some animosity among teachers and objections from the union, he said.
Toguchi additionally said that while $460,000 is earmarked for the Hawaii Center for the Deaf and Blind, there are no funds set aside for deaf students in regular public schools.
There's also no mention of additional funding to Hawaiian language immersion programs, he said.
While more kindergartners are enrolling in the program, there has been no funding increase in many years, and some students are dropping out and opting for regular education programs because many electives aren't available in Hawaiian, Toguchi said.
New SCBM rules
By Debra Barayuga
require fall-back procedure
Star-BulletinNew schools seeking to implement school/community-based management giving them more say in decision-making will be required to develop procedures to fall back on if they cannot reach consensus.
Schools also should make available assessments of their decision-making processes for better monitoring.
The requirements are among four amendments to SCBM policies approved by the state Board of Education yesterday.
The amendments give schools more flexibility and strengthen the board's ability to monitor schools having difficulties, said board member Winston Sakurai.
The changes also give other educational officers besides the principal -- such as vice principals and athletic directors -- a chance to participate. They also require that requests for waivers or exceptions reflect the consensus of the school's community.
"It's important the school moves in the right direction the community wants," Sakurai said.
In the past, programs have been killed because all six groups representing a school could not reach agreement. SCBM requires involvement by the principal, teachers, support staff, parents, students and community members.
Maili Elementary dropped its four-day modified school week in the last school year after its council could not reach consensus.
Mountain View Elementary on the Big Island this year was on the brink of losing a program that promotes smaller schools after its council could not agree. Higher authorities extended the program another year.
