DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Gov. Linda Lingle and U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye were at Queen Kaahumanu Elementary School yesterday to award about $690,000 in new grants to 17 Hawaii public schools as part of the Hawaii 3R's (Repair, Remodel and Restore Hawaii's Schools) program.
Isle schools to invest
lots of ‘sweat equity’U.S. Sen. Inouye and Gov. Lingle
champion the 3R's program
to restore public schools
U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye will appear in a new 30-second television public service announcement to encourage Hawaii residents to help end "the shameful state" of maintenance at Hawaii public schools.
Inouye is encouraging public participation in the Hawaii 3R's program, a grant-based endeavor that requires a matching level of "sweat equity" from volunteers to make repairs on public schools.
"3R's is about volunteerism and sweat, hope and a renewed community commitment to student learning," Inouye said.
Yesterday's announcement of $686,773 was the seventh round of awards given since the Repair, Remodel and Restore Hawaii's Schools program began in 2001. The grants will go to 17 Hawaii schools, and the projects will range from painting classrooms and buildings, to new carpeting for classrooms, to resurfacing a football field.
To date, the program has leveraged nearly $2 million in federal and state grants into nearly $5 million worth of repair and maintenance for 46 schools. Along with repairing schools, Inouye said, the program is designed to restore a sense of community pride and create a positive environment where kids can learn.
The senior senator started the program two years ago, when the state faced a $640 million backlog in school repair and maintenance.
Gov. Linda Lingle thanked Inouye for taking the initiative to tackle this problem even though it is not a federal issue. Lingle said the state is committed to such partnerships, and urged others to get involved.
"If you see something that is not right, you can sit around and gripe, or you can try to do something about it," Lingle said.
The schools receiving the awards in this round are Aliamanu Middle ($19,300), Blanche Pope Elementary ($47,650), Farrington High ($50,000), Jefferson Elementary ($9,300), Kaahumanu Elementary ($41,500), Kahakai Elementary ($57,000), Kaunakakai Elementary ($53,000), Maui Waena Intermediate ($50,000), Mililani Uka Elementary ($21,050) and Mililani Waena Elementary ($21,200).
Also receiving grants were Nanakuli Elementary ($20,300), Nanakuli High and Intermediate ($37,450), Nuuanu Elementary ($51,114), Red Hill Elementary ($50,000), Salt Lake Elementary ($57,200), Waiakea High ($50,000) and Waipahu Intermediate ($49,709).
"These projects are supported by funds from federal, state and private sources, and coordination from Hawaii 3R's," said Bruce Coppa, the program's board chairman.
"We want to get our communities even more involved in this grass-roots effort," he said.
