Lingle pushes
local school boards

The governor testifies before
a committee to let voters decide
on the setup's creation

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By B.J. Reyes
Associated Press

Testifying before a legislative committee for the first time as governor, Linda Lingle asked House lawmakers yesterday to let voters decide whether to break up the state's centralized school system.

Lingle appeared before the House Education Committee in support of her proposal to let voters decide whether to amend the state Constitution to establish seven locally elected school boards.

The governor said she plans to appear before other committees to lobby for bills she feels are central to her administration's agenda.

"I believe the people of Hawaii see this as one of the most important issues that this Legislature will decide," Lingle said afterward. "I think the people expect me to step forward and represent them on the issues that are most important."

She said her travels around the state have shown strong support for the creation of local school boards.

"And even when it's not strong ... it is strong in letting the people of Hawaii make this decision, and that's all I'm asking the legislators do is let the people decide," she said.

The committee deferred a decision on the bill to let voters decide.

Education Chairman Roy Takumi (D, Pearl City-Pacific Palisades) said that because any ballot measure would not be put to a vote until next year, lawmakers can move slowly and carefully in crafting legislation.

"At this point, with the question of the costs, exactly what it would mean, how effective it would be, I think we have an obligation as policy makers to inform the electorate ... rather than just putting it on the ballot and see where the chips may fall," Takumi said.

Legislation to break up the state system moved through both chambers last session, but lawmakers failed to agree on a single plan.

Supporters of sweeping education reforms say abolishing the statewide system in favor of smaller, locally elected bodies would give communities more of a stake in their public schools and would prevent the possibility of a statewide public education shutdown such as what happened when teachers went on strike in April 2001.

Opponents, including the state Board of Education and the Hawaii State Teachers Association union, say a breakup would lead to more bureaucracy and added cost for new offices.

Karen Ginoza, teachers union president, said she feared many voters may simply choose to break up the school board out of frustration.

"When you change a governance system, you must really know what you're embarking on down the road," she said. "There are many, many questions that need to be answered, and so that's important before that is sent out to the people for their vote."

The school board issue has been a key focus of Lingle's agenda for "a new beginning" and was touted throughout her campaign and in her State of the State address. She has said she will try to drum up public support for the measure in her speeches and public appearances.

Lingle said she plans to testify before other committees, lobbying for "all those things that hit on the major topics for me this year and for the people of Hawaii, which was restoring trust in government, improving our schools and expanding the economy."

Other proposals she plans to testify on include raising the standard deduction for income tax filing, campaign finance reform, state procurement laws, mental health issues and tax credits for development at Ko Olina.