STAR-BULLETIN / 2001 Funding for computer education took the biggest hit out of the $24.4 million in cuts made by the Legislature. The Board of Education cut more than $3 million from the program. Here, teacher Dorian Langi works with Marissa Marques on her computer at the Kahuku Elementary School computer lab.

$3.5 million cut
in A+ has school
board in a bind

Hamamoto says funds
may be moved from other
areas to offset part of the cut

Kapolei library to open next year

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By Rosemarie Bernardo
rbernardo@starbulletin.com

Public school officials aren't sure how they will deal with a $3.5 million budget cut to the A+ afterschool program -- part of $24.4 million in education cuts by this year's Legislature.

"It's a real dilemma," said Board of Education member Donna Ikeda after a briefing last night.

"Any increase in fees will mean that larger families are going to be impacted harder at a time where they probably cannot afford it, and that's going to mean there are going to be more latchkey kids and you're going to see the enrollments stop. When the enrollments drop, then the subsidies have to be larger to make the program work," Ikeda said.

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Schools Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto said she will be looking into options with the board to restore funding to the program. School officials have been talking about increasing A+ fees, although nothing has been decided.

"It's too early to determine how we're going to do it," Hamamoto said.

"We believe in the program, the latchkey child that needs supervision. They need care," she added.

Other programs that were slashed from the budget include equipment for computer education, tuition waivers for summer schools and incentive innovation grants, which allow teachers to apply for money to attend classes and develop projects.

Hamamoto said it's possible that funds could be transferred from other programs to restore some of the cuts.

Still school board members had feared the cuts would be larger.

"It could've been worse," said BOE Chairman Herbert Watanabe. "I think we came out all right."

At one time during the legislative session, education officials were facing an $87 million shortfall in the department's $1.3 billion budget.

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Kapolei library
to open next year

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Star-Bulletin staff

The new Kapolei Library is still scheduled to open in July of next year, but so far there is no money for books, state librarian Virginia Lowell told the Board of Education in a written statement last night.

Lowell said the Legislature did not authorize money to buy books, but did authorize $266,900 for five positions and utility costs.

"There is little need for staff when there are no resources (books, nonprint materials, circulation services, reference collections)." the statement said.

"It will take 12 to 18 months to develop a viable circulating/reference collection for the Kapolei Library. It will take four to six months to hire and train staff," she added.

Until resources are obtained, the Kapolei Library can open for two or three days out of the week for storybook hours or Internet training. Meetings may also be held at the library, Lowell said.