Lingle releases $7M for
Democrats’ education reformsLawmakers had chided the
governor for withholding $11M
Gov. Linda Lingle ordered the release Monday of more than $7 million of $11.4 million in additional public school spending approved by the Legislature this year for education reform.
The authorization to spend the money comes after Democratic state lawmakers accused her last week of playing politics when releasing state funds.
"The timing is just coincidental," said Georgina Kawamura, state budget director.
Kawamura said her department reviews all releases of state funds and makes its recommendations to the governor. Her department received the request for the funds earlier this month and she forwarded her recommendations to Lingle just last week, Kawamura said.
"And it just so happens that it was for initiatives (Lingle) opposed," said Rep. Scott Saiki (D, McCully-Kaimuki), House majority leader.
The money is part of $11.4 million the Democrat-controlled Legislature approved earlier this year over Lingle's veto.
The new law, which took effect July 1, includes funds to hire 75 full-time teachers to reduce class size in kindergarten through second grade and to acquire additional textbooks.
In notifying Schools Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto, in a letter dated last Friday, of the released funds, Lingle said "while the economic condition of the state is improving, we must continue to be cautious in our fiscal decision making process."
"There are many competing interests for our limited funds, including the recent legislative decision to fund the Hawaii Government Employees Association arbitrated pay raise," she said, referring to another override of her veto.
Hamamoto had complained that the uncertainty of funding made it difficult to get the new school year off to a good start. Some public schools have already started the new year.
Lingle said she will consider releasing the remaining $4.4 million in September, when economists meet again to estimate future state tax collections.
"The things that we released were the money that we felt were tied to education reform. Whereas there were some other expenditures in there that were just extra, would be nice to have it, but were not tied to the reform and those were not released," Lingle said.
Democrats accused Lingle of withholding funds for state programs under the guise of a financial crisis just so she can appear to solve the problem later. They urged her to release the education reform money and $14.3 million they appropriated for programs to combat crystal methamphetamine, or "ice," use in Hawaii. Lingle did not approve the "ice" appropriation, allowing it to become law without her signature.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.BACK TO TOP |
Reinventing Education Act funds
Gov. Linda Lingle released more than $7 million of $11.4 million appropriated by the Legislature to improve public schools. The money is for the following programs:
RELEASED
$10,000: Committee on Weights to determine factors for weighted student formula
$500,000: Hawaii Principals Academy
$183,780: Administrator Certification for Excellence to train prospective principals
$400,000: Recall days for principal training
$350,000: School community councils
$2,142,350: Reduce class sizes for grades K-2
$2,500,000: Purchase mathematics textbooks and other mathematics learning material
$572,000: Teacher National Board Certification Incentive program
$400,000: School community council pilot project
NOT RELEASED
$2,000,000: Information technology support
$1,743,900: Parent-community networking centers
$460,000: Full-time year-round Student Activities Coordinator positions
$100,000: Parent project to support students with needs
hawaii.gov/gov/
