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Budget throttles State Department of Education planners say there is only enough money for two school building projects in the 2001-2003 state budget.
Hawaii’s schools
State DOE planners say
there's funding for only
two building projects
By Mary Adamski
Star-Bulletin"We used to have $90 million. The Legislature gave us $45 million," facilities director Lester Chuck told Board of Education members yesterday.
A minimum of $13.5 million must be spent on statewide projects such as removal of asbestos and architectural barriers to bring schools into compliance with safety and legal requirements such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, Chuck said.
That leaves enough to fund only the top two items on a 92-item priority list. In the first budget year, $10 million will be spent to begin Mililani Mauka II elementary school and $22 million to begin the next increments of the new Kapolei High School. In the second budget year, it would be $11 million for Mililani Mauka II and $22 million more for Kapolei .
The cutback means even required compliance spending must be "squeezed," Chuck told the board Committee on Support Services. For example, probably only one school a year would receive air conditioning, which is seen as a noise and heat abatement remedy needed at several schools.
The committee granted Chuck's request, voting to recommend that the Board of Education approve two budget scenarios, one for $45 million and another based on the $90 million a year that the department will seek again in the state administration budget.
Chuck said the best-case scenario would allow design and construction of several new classrooms. Near the top of the priority list are $3.5 million for design and construction of eight classrooms at Waipahu High School and matching amounts and expansion at Leilehua High School and Waianae High School. Ewa Beach Elementary School would get $1.9 million for six new classrooms and $500,000 would be budgeted for land acquisition for Kamaile Elementary School on Oahu. Several neighbor island schools are also on the short list.
"If we don't ask, we may regret not having done it," said chairman Mitsugi Nakashima, citing the list of 92 capital improvement projects.
Last year, the Board of Education approved a 10-year budget plan that projected a need for $150 million a year to accomplish the capital improvement goals on the priority list.
Chuck said the Legislature has appropriated $90 million a year for the past 11 years.
"The governor has stated that education is a priority," said school Superintendent Paul LeMahieu, in a budget memo to the committee. "For example, one of the governor's initiatives is to have computers in every classroom statewide. This creates a need for electrical power and telecommunications upgrades ... above and beyond what the $45 million budget allows.
"To make an impact in improving educational facilities, a CIP budget of at least $90 million is requested," LeMahieu wrote.
The budget will be discussed at the Aug. 25 board meeting and presented to the state Department of Budget and Finance in September.