State's budget omits 77 school projects

By Jennifer Hiller
Advertiser Education Writer

The state's construction budget for the next two years shows that lawmakers — not the Department of Education — dictated largely where the money will be spent at schools across Hawai'i.

The $3 million for renovations that Roosevelt High and principal Dennis Hokama will receive is on the state and DOE priority lists. Advertiser library photo • June 24, 2002

Legislators bypassed dozens of schools on the DOE's priority list — 77 projects in all — including plans for new classrooms everywhere from Mountain View Elementary to Lana'i High and Elementary.

Gov. Linda Lingle last week accused lawmakers of peddling in pork-barrel politics instead of following the recommendations of the DOE or the Department of Accounting and General Services, the state agency responsible for school facilities, in deciding which projects to finance.

And an examination of the budget by The Advertiser shows that in this session, lawmakers exerted considerable influence over the process, to the exclusion of a number of projects deemed high priorities.

For example, the DOE placed a high priority on projects such as classroom buildings for 'Ewa Beach Elementary and Lahaina Intermediate, a library for Ka'a'awa Elementary a library and a locker room at Konawaena Middle.

But under the legislative budget awaiting Lingle's signature, none of those projects will get money.

Instead, Waiakea High will get all-weather track and field improvements worth $2.8 million; Kaimuki High School will get $463,000 for a science center and athletic field restrooms; and Highlands Intermediate will get an extension of its music building for $704,000.

Lingle has said she may restrict line-item allocations for projects in areas that have had lots of school renovations or new buildings. The governor has the authority to line-item veto, restrict money or reduce money for individual projects.

"I think a point has to be made," Lingle said while touring Ka'ewai Elementary School on Tuesday in Kalihi.

While lawmaker-initiated projects always appear in the schools budget, several state officials say it seems that elected officials were more heavy-handed in their approach this year.

Sen. Brian Taniguchi, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, said lawmakers usually take the DOE's priority list into consideration.

"This year we strayed a little more than usual," he said.

But Taniguchi said the projects are worthy of financing and grew out of visits with school principals.

"It's not like the legislators sit in their offices and think of these bright ideas," he said. "These things come from teachers, principals, custodians. A lot of us participate in school inspections."

Also, Taniguchi said the formula (known as the matrix) that the DOE uses to determine priority gives too much weight to growing areas of the state and new construction projects. He said older campuses get left behind by the DOE formula, noting that building new schools can chew up the whole construction budget for education.

"We have members who are trying to be sensitive to their communities. Part of it is trying to balance out the pie," Taniguchi said.

'Awkward' situation

Education officials, glad to be receiving whatever money they can, are unsure of how to react to the lawmaker-initiated projects. Several Board of Education members acknowledged that they were dismayed to see the Legislature's construction budget.

"It's an awkward thing for the schools," said Rae Loui, assistant superintendent of administrative services. "At least it's school money. Maybe it's not in the top 100 projects, but it's being spent on education. It's just unfortunate I guess."

At Ka'a'awa Elementary School, students and staff have waited years for a new library. It is one of the DOE's top 30 projects in terms of priority.

The small school, with 142 children enrolled, has only one permanent structure on campus. The rest are portable buildings.

Library materials are stuffed into a small classroom area in a portable. Portables also have been stacked together to create a cafeteria. "We do have the best view," said Principal Susan Hummel of her campus sandwiched between Kane'ohe Bay and the Ko'olaus. "We're on a million-dollar site."

The completion of Kapolei High School, high on the DOE's priority list, was not on the legislative budget. But Principal Alvin Nagasako said Lingle has released $5 million in construction money that will help complete the campus and build a sports stadium. "We can at least be semi-completed," Nagasako said.

Taniguchi said the state budget gives the DOE most of what it requested for lump-sum money and that officials should have some flexibility with that money.

But Loui said that much of that lump-sum money goes toward health and safety requirements — such as compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act or the removal of cesspools and asbestos — for which the DOE has no choice.

Karen Knudsen, a Board of Education member, said the problem is that the DOE and the board try to take a larger view of school construction than individual lawmakers who want to push for projects in their own districts.

"We're always happy when schools receive any attention," Knudsen said. "We do look at it from a statewide approach instead of looking out for our own area. I'm concerned the strongest legislators might benefit."

Still, when schools have asked Knudsen if they can push for their own project, she tells them to go ahead. The board could tell the DOE not to initiate the projects that get money and aren't on its priority list, but likely would never do that, she said.

"I would prefer it would follow our matrix, but if someone has initiative and gets their project through I'm not going to prevent that," Knudsen said. "Would we stop a school from receiving money? I wouldn't go that far."

In the end, Knudsen said the board members and DOE are glad to receive whatever money they can. "All of the schools have needs," she said.

The Department of Education last November sent lawmakers a six-year capital improvements plan — estimated to cost about $90 million per year.

In the end, lawmakers approved $72.9 million for school construction projects for the 2003-04 fiscal year and $46.3 million for the 2004-05 fiscal year.

Different priorities

Some schools got projects, but not the ones the DOE intended. At McKinley High, lawmakers gave the school $300,000 for the expansion of the cafeteria, a project the DOE has not requested. The renovation of the school's industrial arts education building, however, was passed over. That is one of the DOE's top 30 projects it says it needs at schools across the state.

At Kahuku High School, lawmakers appropriated $400,000 for renovations not on the DOE's list, but did not approve money for the new athletic field that has been requested.

"There's always going to be issues where legislative initiatives get in there and don't match with the DOE's priority," said Russ Saito, state comptroller at DAGS. "It's not like the legislators are thinking it's not important. It's just that their priority doesn't match the DOE's. It's different views about where the money will go."

Fred Rose, principal at Kilauea Elementary, is worried that the $300,000 to plan and design his school's new cafeteria might be line-item vetoed by Lingle because it's not on the DOE priority list.

Cayetano halted the same project a few years ago.

Still, students at Kilauea eat in shifts and meet in the courtyard for assemblies because the cafeteria is too small to squeeze everyone in. "It's like a postage stamp," Rose said. When parents come for meetings or the school holds performances, they schedule two to accommodate everyone.

"I know education takes a lot of money out of the state, but I wonder if it really is a priority," Rose said.

School plans action

Waimea Middle School supporters started organizing on Friday. They plan to blanket the governor's office with letters and e-mails to make the case for building a new middle school. They received $2 million in the state's budget to start planning and design work; the DOE's priority list would rather give them a new classroom building. Supporters who testified to lawmakers and campaigned hard to win the $2 million are worried Lingle will restrict the money.

Waimea middle and elementary schools operate on the same campus, leaving the middle school students without science labs, music rooms or art rooms.

"We're running a middle-school program the best we can in an elementary facility," said Pat Rice, the school's curriculum coordinator. "The eight-classroom building isn't going to do it for us."

At Ka'a'awa Elementary and other schools that have projects put on hold for at least another couple of years, school officials try to stay positive about chances that they might make the construction budget soon. Hummel hopes to at least get design and planning money for a combination library and administration building.

"I can only assume there is a reason," Hummel said. "I just don't know what it is."

Reach Jennifer Hiller at jhiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8084.