Posted on: Friday, July 23, 2004
Democrats, Lingle spar over $11.8M for schools
By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Staff Writer
House Democrats said yesterday that the Lingle administration is withholding $11.8 million earmarked by the Legislature to reduce class size in Hawai'i schools, buy more math books and implement other changes.
State budget director Georgina Kawamura, however, said it is unfair to say Gov. Linda Lingle has not released the money because she has not been asked to do so by the Department of Budget and Finance as part of a long-standing process. The money was included in the Reinventing Education Act, which went into effect July 1. Although the administration has said it will not release any new appropriations until after projected tax revenues are released at the next Council on Revenues meeting in September, Kawamura's office has been reviewing items case by case.
Kawamura said she will make a recommendation to Lingle as early as this afternoon, after which Lingle can make a decision.
At a press conference yesterday, Democratic Reps. Sylvia Luke, Scott Saiki and Roy Takumi said the decision already should have been made.
"They had ample time to figure out whether these dollars could be and should be released. We are advocating that they must be released," Takumi said. "Schools are on a schedule, and the hiring of these teachers to lower the class size, for example, is based upon the assumption and the hope that they will get the money to do so."
In response, Lingle sent out a news release yesterday saying the administration was working hard to come up with innovative sources of money to relieve pressure on the general fund.
"The Democrats continue to focus on just spending more money and exhibit a continuing unwillingness to maintain fiscal discipline," she said. She did not comment beyond the news release.
The education law was one of the Legislature's main priorities during the past session and became a key battle between Democrats and Republicans when Lingle vetoed the bill, only to have her veto overridden by the Legislature. Last week, Lingle did sign a bill that revised the education-reform package.
Although the money has not been released, the Department of Education is moving to implement the law's provisions, said DOE spokesman Greg Knudsen.
"We're basically spending the money before we get it," he said. "We do fully expect that the governor will release these funds."
For instance, the department had to hire full-time student activities coordinators and bring principals back from vacation for training because the reform act gives them more responsibilities.
"We're not just saying 'Gosh, we don't have the funds and we can't do this,' " Knudsen said. "We know that can't work and would be used against us."
If the money isn't released, however, the department will have to make up for it by taking money out of other programs, he said.
Superintendent Pat Hamamoto has sent a letter to the governor urging her to release the money. Board of Education Chairman Breene Harimoto said because Hamamoto has not heard back from the governor, he will send a similar letter.
"It's unfortunate that politics have gotten in the way of education," he said.
But Kawamura insists the administration is acting slowly out of prudence, not politics.
Even with an extra $100 million in tax revenue collected this year, the state is still anticipating a $60 million deficit, she said.
"I wouldn't consider that extra money. It keeps us out of a deeper hole, but we still have a deficit and a lot of obligations coming our way in the next biennium," she said.
The Reinventing Education Act is one of dozens of bills awaiting financing. Others include the $14 million ice bill that Lingle allowed to pass into law without her signature.
Saiki, Luke and Takumi also urged Lingle to release money to combat crystal methamphetamine.
Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8014.
Decisions about which schools get more teachers will be made after the department receives the final enrollment counts at the beginning of September. The DOE is starting to prepare based on early projections because two-thirds of the schools will be back in session before the traditional school year begins Aug. 23.
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Education Money
The Reinventing Education Act, which took effect July 1, provides money for:
• Mathematics textbooks: $2.5 million
• Reduce sizes in K-2 classrooms: $2,143,350
• Information technology related to the federal No Child Left Behind law and the weighted student formula: $2 million
• Parent-community networking centers: $1,743,900
• Other: $3,475,780
• Total: $11,863,030
