As a teacher at Noelani Elementary School, Katie Nakamura says she believes any person who works directly with students is essential, including librarians, who can serve as a valuable resource to help children.

“;Every day that another person can help a child is an essential part of that child's growth, and every day that we fail to touch a child is a waste of what we, as educators and school employees, seek to achieve,”; Nakamura said in an e-mail.

Gov. Linda Lingle sees it differently.

Librarians are among the educational system employees who were included on a list of “;nonessential”; workers released by the Lingle administration this week.

Determining which workers are “;essential”; and “;nonessential”; is at the heart of a $30 million difference between two plans aimed at ending Furlough Fridays for public school students.

Other nonessential workers on the list included district office teachers, registrars, student activity coordinators, community school principals, school bus managers, athletic directors and trainers, clinical psychologists, mental health supervisors and social workers.

The Governor's Office said the list was provided by the Department of Education in November amid contract negotiations with the United Public Workers union.

Lingle says such workers are important but do not need to be brought back and paid for schools to reopen on Furlough Fridays.

“;It's not essential to have a groundskeeper there on a Furlough Friday,”; Lingle said in a recent television interview. “;We need groundskeepers. They play an important function keeping the schools looking well and being safe, but they don't have to be there on a Furlough Friday.”;

Lingle has proposed using about $62 million in various state special funds to restore furlough days, bring back only “;essential”; workers.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association says it considers all Department of Education workers to be essential to the successful operation of the public school system.

A settlement crafted by the union, Board of Education and Department of Education would bring back all employees on remaining furlough days—four this year and 17 next year—at a cost to the state of about $92 million.

Lingle says the state cannot afford that, and she would not release the funding if the Legislature approved a proposal at that high of an amount.

Meanwhile, the state House is preparing to vote on a proposal to use special funds for ending the furloughs. Senate Bill 2124 calls for use of the Hawaii Hurricane Relief Fund to restore furlough days, but it does not specify an amount.

Finance Chairman Marcus Oshiro has given the parties until April 12 to try to reach an agreement on the funding level. That would give lawmakers enough time to pass the bill and get it to Lingle for approval before the next scheduled furlough day on April 23.

If no agreement is reached, then the bill would go to conference, where lawmakers would have to decide whether to keep the proposal alive.

At least one outside observer says the cost of the plan should not be the key sticking point.

“;Sometimes cost alone should not be the consideration,”; U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye said this week when asked about his thoughts on the furlough impasse. “;You should look at the benefits and who are the ones who will suffer.

“;When you see that school kids are the ones who will suffer, you'd better think twice.”;