Posted on: Saturday, December 11, 2004

Superintendent, Lingle aides still discussing special-ed cuts

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

At the end of an hour long meeting yesterday, schools Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto and key members of the Lingle administration agreed to continue discussions on how many special-education teacher positions will be paid for in the next budget.

During a Board of Education meeting Thursday night on Maui, Hamamoto told board members that the state administration's preliminary budget calls for 163 fewer special-education teachers than the BOE had requested. That prompted board members to raise concerns about the school system's ability to comply with the Felix consent decree, the 1994 court order that requires the department to provide adequate services to students with disabilities.

Board members urged Hamamoto to lobby Budget Director Georgina Kawamura and Attorney General Mark Bennett to restore money for the instructors, which school officials estimate will cost $5.6 million.

After their meeting, the three refused to answer questions about position counts.

"It is the goal of everybody to make sure that Hawai'i's special- needs children have appropriate resources and that we are in full compliance with the Felix consent decree, and we are going to be working all together to make sure that that shared goal is accomplished," Bennett said.

Kawamura said the administration is not expected to come up with a completed fiscal package until Dec. 20.

Hamamoto said it was "unfortunate" that she was asked by board members on Thursday to provide specifics about the ongoing discussions when such details were still under discussion.

On Thursday night, Hamamoto said public schools will need at least 2,117 special-education teachers to meet Felix mandates.

If the administration does not move from its initial position, school officials can still take their argument to the Legislature.

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.