More schools
eligible for
Title I

Seventy percent of the state's
public schools will qualify under
the broadened program

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By Susan Essoyan
sessoyan@starbulletin.com

Starting this fall, 70 percent of the state's public schools will qualify for extra federal funds because of student poverty, up from roughly 50 percent now, officials said.

To reach more students, the state has decided to broaden eligibility for the Title I program, which is designed to help disadvantaged kids succeed in school.

"By lowering the eligibility criteria, more schools are able to participate, and we will be able to serve 34,000 more students," Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto said. "We're trying to leverage that to get more help for the system."

Federal regulations allow Title I funding to go to schools where at least 35 percent of students receive subsidized lunch. Hawaii has been using a higher cutoff of 45 percent, which allows for bigger grants to the neediest schools. But the Department of Education had decided to lower the criteria to 35 percent, making an additional 49 schools eligible.

The pot of Title I money distributed directly to schools in Hawaii -- $22.7 million this year -- is likely to remain the same, so each school will receive a smaller amount under the new arrangement.

Having Title I status also allows schools to take advantage of other federal programs.

"Once you're a Title I school, that opens doors for so many other grants," said Katherine Kawaguchi, assistant superintendent of the schools. "The amount of Title I money per child may decrease, but the opportunity for additional funds is greater."

The number of Title I schools in Hawaii is projected to jump to 205 in the next school year from 156 now, out of 283 public schools statewide. They represent 123,600 students in a total enrollment of nearly 183,000. Each Title I school will receive no less than $50,000, Hamamoto said.

"With the additional money, we can do things for our students and get more help for our teachers and hopefully tend to really improving our student achievement," said Milton Shishido, principal of McKinley High School, which stands to gain roughly $250,000 next year when it becomes a Title I school.

The school just missed the 45 percent cutoff this year.

At the same time, existing Title I schools will have to make do with less next year. At Hana High and Elementary, the school allocation is projected to drop to $76,000 from $130,000, according to Department of Education figures.

"We're spread so thin anyway, and now trying to find a way to make up $50,000 or so is going to be very challenging," said Hana's principal, Melanie Coates. "Our Title I funding was used to make up for some of the cuts in personnel."

But Coates said she was glad that more schools will be included in the program, adding that she did not know how her school would manage without Title I funds.

In addition to McKinley, other high schools expected to move onto the Title I list are Kailua, Kapaa, Leilehua and Waipahu, as well as Myron B. Thompson Academy, formerly known as Hawaii E-Charter.

Title I money can be used for curriculum, teachers, tutoring, professional development -- "whatever it takes to improve academic achievement," said Lavern Adaniya, a Title I specialist.

A family of four in Hawaii must earn no more than $38,517 annually in order for its children to qualify for subsidized lunch at school.