Public schools are likely to receive more money under proposed changes to the state Department of Education's funding formula, but some are concerned the extra money could come at the expense of many school-level programs.

State education officials have proposed including some $12.2 million from 27 programs such as school-to-work transition centers and literacy assistance in the pot that gets distributed to schools through the department's so-called "weighted student formula."

While that could mean up to $300 extra for each student at public schools across the state, it has many parents and principals concerned that popular programs could now be in jeopardy.

This past school year, Jan Nakamura's son graduated from Kaimuki High School, where he was involved with the school's Performing Arts Learning Center. But now the learning center's $27,400 in annual funding could be redirected, and that worries her, Nakamura said.

"First of all, my son is autistic. ... He was very discouraged until he got involved with performing arts," Nakamura said. "The performing arts center gave him a chance to belong."

Part of the Reinventing Education Act of 2004, the weighted student formula was meant to give principals more flexibility and control over how their school's money is spent, including staff positions, teaching positions, programs, textbooks and supplies.

Currently, about $900 million is distributed among the state's 253 public schools using this funding formula. Each year, a group of educators and school community members who make up the Committee on Weights review changes.

Officials say the money from those programs only benefit a select group of students and it should be made available to all students.

"We look at this as an equity issue," said Michael Harano, principal of Washington Middle School and member of this year's Committee on Weights.

"If it was a program targeted to a small group of kids that should be made available to all kids, we recommended that it be included in the formula," Harano said.

In the case of Kaimuki's Performing Arts Learning Center, Harano said the funds benefit a select group of students.

But Harano said the idea behind the weighted student formula is that principals and school communities are allowed to decide where to spend its money. In the case of successful programs, Harano said principals will support the program with money from a school's budget.

"Just because they get put into the pot doesn't mean their program is dead," he said.

MJ Matsushita, coordinator of the Kaimuki learning center, said the proposal would mean the program would have to "go begging for funding every single year." There are about 28 other learning centers throughout the state.

"They keep talking about learning centers not being accessible to all students. But they are," she said.

LEARNING CENTERS

Matsushita said students from more than 16 schools on O'ahu participate in center performances. Last year, the learning center put on a production of "West Side Story" that included 35 cast members and 15 crew members who came from schools as close at Washington Middle School and as far as 'Ewa Beach, Matsushita said.

But Robert Campbell, head of program support and development for the DOE, said while learning centers reach out to students in many different communities, they aren't necessarily accessible to every student in the state.

"In essence, at one particular point in time, someone in the state Legislature was able to act upon what they saw as a need. Over time, what you end up with is some schools have and some schools don't," Campbell said.

Technically, a learning center is open to anyone who may be interested, Campbell said. But realistically, they are limited by proximity. For instance, if a learning center is located on O'ahu, it would be difficult for students at Neighbor Island schools to use its resources, he said.

About $328,000 in funding from Farrington High School's Health Career Academy is also being considered for inclusion in the budget formula. But principal Catherine Payne said she isn't looking at it as a cut.

"We will still have it. We'll find a way to keep it," she said.

About 200 students interested in health-related fields use the academy each year, Payne said.

Even if the school doesn't get the money as a separate appropriation, she said the school will still fund it using the money it receives through the funding formula.

"The health academy was funded by the Legislature 15 years ago. But not every (school) gets that money. So it's part of the issue of equity," she said.