As Hawai'i's public schools opened last week, the number of teacher vacancies had dropped to 69 out of an annual vacancy rate of 1,378, according to Department of Education officials.

That was down from 199 vacancies a week earlier.

Both of those numbers compared to a vacancy level of around 400 in the last three weeks before school began last year.

Gerald Okamoto, assistant superintendent for the DOE Office of Human Resources, called the achievement "incredible."

But he said recruitment personnel are working to fill the remaining vacancies.

Hawai'i and the nation as a whole suffer from a teacher shortage, but especially in areas like science and math teaching and special education. As a result, the state has often had to rely on emergency hires and substitute teachers in making sure all classrooms have appropriate teaching staff.

BIG ISLE SCHOOL GETTING GOALS AID

More than $1 million will be given to Waimea Elementary School on the Big Island over the next five years by the Richard Smart Fund of the Hawai'i Community Foundation to help the school meet goals under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The money will help support a school improvement plan for restructuring developed by the Hawaiian Education Council. Waimea will work with the provider, America's Choice School Design.

The grant money will be used to help with leadership development training and team-building for the staff. As well, the school hopes to develop academic and recreational activities for the whole community.

MEDICAL SCHOOL GIVEN FELLOWSHIP

Barry and Virginia Weinman have created a $1 million fellowship program for students at the John A. Burns School of Medicine through the University of Hawai'i Foundation.

The fellowship will assist UH medical students who plan to intern and practice in Hawai'i. Recipients would receive assistance during four continuous years of study, and three current medical students have qualified for the 2006-07 year.

In 2000, the Weinmans gave $1.1 million to establish the Barry and Virginia Weinman Chair of Entrepreneurship and E-Business as well as $250,000 to initiate the Pacific Center for Entrepreneurship and E-Business at the College of Business.