BOE committees approve two budgets
| • | Teacher shortage disputed |
| • | DOE adds staff to help clear hiring red tape |
Advertiser Staff
Two Board of Education committees yesterday approved supplemental budget requests from both the Department of Education and State Public Library system.
The department will ask the Legislature for an additional $42 million for fiscal year 2003. It also will ask for an additional $16 million to continue improving special education services as required by the federal court.
The request includes $8.2 million for Hawai'i's new charter schools, $3.9 million to cover increased costs of school bus services; $5 million for incentives to help recruit teachers; $1.1 million for the Hawaiian language immersion program; $1.7 million for reading initiatives; and $2 million for school custodial services.
The library system is requesting $1.8 million to staff and equip the new Kapolei library. It also is asking for $3.5 million in capital improvement money to help tackle a $9 million backlog of projects, said administrative services officer Keith Fujio.
The supplemental budgets have yet to be approved by the full board.
