Small schools in areas with declining enrollment could face possible closure or merger with nearby schools under a bill awaiting Gov. Linda Lingle's signature.

It makes sense to consolidate schools in light of shifting populations and the high costs of facility repair and maintenance, said state Rep. Roy Takumi, who introduced the bill.

"Here you have the Department of Education, whose enrollment has gone from 182,000 eight years ago to 171,000 this year — a drop in enrollment of 10,000 or so students — and yet the number of schools has expanded," said Takumi.

Education officials, however, are urging the governor to veto the measure, saying it infringes upon their authority.

The bill (HB 2972) calls for an independent board — dubbed the Facilities Realignment Commission — to be charged with recommending schools for closure or consolidation in a two-year process.

School officials are concerned the commission would base decisions primarily on what would save money when other issues are also important.

"They would not be coming at it from an educational perspective. They'd be looking at this from a strictly business perspective," said Karen Knudsen, vice chairwoman of the state Board of Education.

"How much money are you talking about saving with this? ... If (lawmakers) want to look for waste in government, I suggest they look elsewhere," Knudsen said.

But it's not just board members seeking to kill the measure. Communities with small schools are also crying foul.

"The DOE has a process to address this," said Susan Okano, principal of 'Aina Haina Elementary School. She said the DOE, along with school-level officials, should be left with the authority to close or consolidate a school.

About a year-and-a-half ago, 'Aina Haina was included in a plan that would have merged it with nearby Wailupe Valley Elementary School, which has faced declining enrollment.

"My primary concern is always the children. ... Wailupe Valley has a very rich history. We need to recognize and appreciate that. Closing a school, that's not an easy thing to take place," Okano said.

Lawmakers say that while education officials have had the authority to close or consolidate schools, they've failed do so, even when some schools' enrollments have dipped dramatically over the years.

Certain areas of the state, such as Kapolei, have been expanding as more people move out of urban Honolulu, said Takumi, the state representative who sponsored the bill. The population shift has led to decreased enrollment at many schools, yet those schools remain open.

"You have schools that were built for 400 or 500 students, but they only have 150 children. Yet all the buildings on that campus need to be maintained," he said.

The last time a public school closed was in 1987, when students from 'Anuenue Elementary were shifted to nearby Palolo Elementary. 'Anuenue later reopened as a charter school.

The problem, Takumi said, is that education officials are afraid of backlash from communities if they consider closing a school.

"The reason we passed such legislation was to take the politics out of it," he said.

Takumi modeled the Facilities Alignment Commission after the federal Base Closure and Realignment Commission, which recommends which military bases should be closed. The FAC's decisions would be subject to review by the Legislature and would direct the BOE to proceed with the process of consolidating or closing underused schools.

The measure also specifically spells out areas where school consolidation could be considered. Elementary schools in the Castle, Farrington, Hilo, Kahuku, Kailua, Kaiser, Kalaheo, Pearl City and Waiakea complexes will be closely examined, as will all schools in the Honoka'a, Kaimuki, Laupahoehoe and Waialua complexes.

The commission would have to consider whether there are schools in those areas where enrollment has declined and whether there are nearby schools that could accommodate displaced students.

Smaller schools are often more expensive to operate, according to school officials. That's because the costs at a small school must be spread out among a smaller group of students.

"The weighted student formula helped illustrate the costs of smaller schools," said Bob Campbell, director of program support and development for the DOE. "For the first time, we are seeing how much more is being allocated to smaller schools on a per student basis."

The weighted student formula, the DOE's method for allocating resources, essentially gives money to schools based on its student population. But for smaller schools to get enough money to operate, the formula includes 30 percent or more extra in funding.

"Up until weighted student formula, everyone knew we sort of cockroached from the big schools to give to the little schools. But no one knew how much. So when we went to a very clear measure of dollars per-student, it became obvious," Campbell said.

But education officials and principals say that much more should be considered than how much money could be saved.

While merging schools could result in some cost saving, education officials say other options such as using extra space for state administrative offices or allowing charter schools to use unused facilities should be considered.

"The problem is once you close a school or sell it, you've lost it forever," Knudsen said.

Wailupe Valley Elementary principal Jean Hartmann said school closures will not be met enthusiastically by communities.

In 2006, Wailupe was considered by a DOE facilities committee as one school that could be merged with a neighboring school. At the time, Wailupe had 114 students, with a capacity of 200.

The school, which will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next school year, currently has an enrollment of about 90 students.

"This community would not support it (closing the school). They prefer to have Wailupe because it is a unique school, a small school," Hartmann said.

While the school is at less than capacity, Hartman points out that the facilities are still fully in use. Two classrooms are being used by Halau Ku Mana Public Charter School and another classroom is being used by Keiki O Ka 'Aina Preschool, she said.

Russell Pang, a spokesman for Lingle, said the governor is still seeking community input on the bill, which is under "active review." Lingle has met with concerned parents in the Hilo area and wants to hear from others with opinions about the bill, Pang said.

The governor has until July 8 to review and sign bills passed by Legislature.