Despite a reduction in instructional days for students via Furlough Fridays, interim schools Superintendent Kathryn Matayoshi said she is hopeful that the state will receive $78 million in the federal Race to the Top education competition.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in November that Hawaii faced a “;heck of a challenge”; in qualifying for the funds because of the closing of classrooms 17 days each school year through June 2011.

But Matayoshi said while some teachers unions in other states have opposed applying for the grants, the department has received letters of support from the Hawaii Government Employees Association and the Hawaii State Teachers Association.

“;It's a very positive thing for our application,”; Matayoshi said.

Some states and unions have criticized the Race to the Top partly because of the program's emphasis on charter schools, which they believe would take resources away from traditional public schools.

Matayoshi said the department has met the application's criteria for charter schools.

The deadline for the first round was yesterday, and the U.S. Department of Education is expected to announce the winners in April.

Hawaii is among more than 30 states applying for the $4.35 billion in grants.

Matayoshi said if the state does not succeed in the first round, the Department of Education can reapply in the second round in June.

Matayoshi said the state DOE hopes to use part of the money to provide incentives to attract more experienced teachers to low-performing schools, such as those in Waianae.

She said the application would also help encourage more preschools in areas where there are low-performing schools.

Matayoshi said while the state has to resolve the issue of Furlough Fridays, it also has to work to improve education overall.

“;It may be that if we don't qualify for Race to the Top, it will take us longer to do these reforms, it will be a little tougher,”; she said.

“;But it doesn't mean we can't do it.”;

President Barack Obama announced yesterday that he will seek $1.35 billion in next year's budget to expand the Race to the Top competition.

White House officials said they are pleased with educational reforms occurring in many states as a result of the competition, including intervention to turn around low-performing schools.

Race to the Top is part of an effort to stimulate a slow economy, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Matayoshi, who had been in charge of applying for stimulus funds while serving as a deputy director, said the application was a “;huge effort”; and totaled nearly 900 pages.

She said the application included an explanation of how Hawaii would use the funds to improve student achievement in mathematics and language arts and preparing students for college, including technical and academic colleges.

While Hawaii has scored high in establishing uniform academic standards, it has scored low in “;college readiness,”; according to a recent assessment by Education Week.

Officials said the application was for educational infrastructure, such as textbooks, that would last beyond the four years of spending of the $78 million.

Matayoshi said the department is waiting for a proposal to be put forth by Gov. Linda Lingle's administration to increase instruction time in schools now faced with nine Furlough Fridays through May and 17 in the next school year.