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POSTED: Saturday, October 11, 2008
                       

This story has been corrected. See below.

In approving a $45.6 million budget cut this week, the Board of Education fell short of two targets to reduce spending, but saved some student programs from elimination.

The school board accomplished that by tapping funds for restructuring inadequate schools under the federal No Child Left Behind law.

The budget cut includes elimination of 239.5 positions, but officials could not say how many of those positions were vacant.

Roger Takabayashi, president of the Hawaii State Teachers Association, said there are few vacancies in the eliminated positions. Those whose jobs are cut could—if they are certified—replace teachers who are working toward certification or fill some of the more than 1,000 vacancies a year in the Department of Education, Takabayashi said.

The cut positions are mostly administrative, from principals to clerks that provide support services for schools and teachers. “;The front line hasn't been touched yet,”; he said.

Half of the reduced positions are for resource teachers, who provide training for teachers. Takabayashi said the state will feel the loss in the long term with fewer qualified teachers.

HSTA's first priority was that the board cut the budget without affecting the students in the classroom.

All state agencies were required to submit general fund budget proposals for 2009 to 2011 to the Department of Budget and Finance yesterday. The state requested all agencies provide three budgets with 10, 15, and 20 percent reductions to cover a projected $900 million shortfall by 2011.

 

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SLIMMER SPENDING         Budget cut passed by the Board of Education: $45.6 million         Positions eliminated: 239.5         Short: The cut is still short of Gov. Lingle's mandated 15 percent and 20 percent cuts.         » Amount of a 15 percent budget cut: $49,817,899         » Amount of a 20 percent budget cut: $68,935,617         Four programs that the board reinstated funding to:         » High Core (Storefront), $135,101         » Olomana Youth Center, $123,287         » Pacific and Asian Affairs Council, $42,878         » Peer Education Program, $839,574         Total diverted from the fund for restructuring schools, to pay for the four programs: $1.1 million

 

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The school board was about $5 million short of the 15 percent benchmark and about $24 million under the 20 percent target, but board Chairwoman Donna Ikeda said it was the most the board could do.

“;We are doing the best we can at this point and we cannot even reach the second tier of 15 percent,”; she said at the board meeting on Thursday. “;If the governor decides to take the highest percentage of cuts, the money will come out of the schools and that is something I will fight against because that is going to impact all children ... and it will be devastating.”;

Gov. Linda Lingle said yesterday her administration has given agencies the courtesy of determining their priorities by selecting their own budget cuts.

“;I expect most of them, if not all of them to do that—those that are my appointees—that they will do what they've been asked to do under the idea that if they're not part of the solution then they are part of the problem,”; she said. She said she will talk with outside groups before the making the final decisions for the budget in December.

The budget, which would go before state lawmakers, would be effective July 1, 2009.

Moved by student and staff pleas during the week, the board reinstated 90 percent of funding to four student programs that promote health education and global education and assist troubled youths. The board transferred about $1.1 million from a $5 million fund for supporting schools going through restructuring under the No Child Left Behind law.

Daniel Hamada, assistant superintendent with the Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Support, said it's too early to tell what effect the loss in funding for restructuring schools will have.

The proposed budget cut taps more than 100 programs or areas of the Education Department, such as services for children with autism, literacy training for special and general education teachers, speech language pathologists, science textbooks, adult education and athletic supplies.

               

     

 

 

CORRECTION         » Board of Education member Karen Knudsen was in a photo with other board members taken during a meeting at McKinley High School last week. She was incorrectly identified as Karen Ikeda in a Page A6 caption Saturday.