Education officials are proposing to trim night security patrols at 76 schools after an initial plan to cut the public school athletics budget failed.

Board of Education members will consider eliminating a $650,000 program that provides a roving security patrol to schools at risk from thieves or vandals.

The security patrols are being considered for cuts because the results of the program have been difficult to determine, education officials said.

"There's not a real good way to prove it is working," said Adele Chong, budget director for the Department of Education.

The revised proposal comes after a decision last month by the state Board of Education not to cut $1 million from the athletics budget to meet a $9.2 million budget restriction imposed by Gov. Linda Lingle.

The board will vote on the security patrol measure at their meeting tonight at the Queen Lili'uokalani Building Downtown.

In addition to athletics, other programs spared included the Challenger Center of Hawai'i space education lab based at Barbers Point Elementary School, the Hawaiian Museum at Nanaikapono Elementary School and the Onizuka Memorial Space Museum at Kona International Airport.

In total, the board decided against cutting about $1.4 million, meaning education officials were asked to go back and search for other areas that could be cut.

Gilbert Chun, director of the DOE's auxiliary services branch, said the night security patrol was initially established to curb vandalism and theft at certain schools.

But Chun said school break-ins and vandalism continue to occur, regardless of the security patrol.

Instead of having a security guard stationed at a school for the whole night, the program groups schools by complex and then has one security guard patrol a group of four or five schools in one night.

"The security guard is supposed to drive to each of those schools, spend one to two hours patrolling the campus and then move on," Chun said.

"If we were able to station a security guard the whole night, that would probably be more effective," he said.

Moreover, the security guards don't have any authority to intervene during any criminal activity, Chun said. They're only allowed to alert law-enforcement authorities.

The DOE does not keep track of vandalism or break-ins that occur on school campuses, Chun said.

PATROLS HELP, SOME SAY

Kelcy Koga, principal of Waiakea High School on the Big Island, said the security patrol is limited in its effectiveness, but the cut would still hurt.

Waiakea was the victim of several break-ins last school year, and also has suffered two deliberately set fires in the past, Koga said.

An April 11, 2006, fire at the high school caused an estimated $1.5 million damage to the administration building. It was among three deliberately set fires that year.

"It is a big help to have them look for things out of place, unlocked doors," Koga said. "Any service that we won't have anymore will put us at a disadvantage."

Koga said while the security patrol only spends a few hours a night on campus, it serves as a deterrent for someone who might be considering vandalizing or stealing from a classroom.

The security patrol is the single largest addition to the budget cut proposal. To meet the remainder of the cuts, the board also will consider reductions to several noninstructional areas, including Special Olympics participation, funding for meals and Neighbor Island travel for teacher training and custodial supplies.

'LOOKED AT THE IMPACT'

Chong, the DOE's budget director, said the cuts represent areas the state office or complex offices could cut back on.

"Every general fund program had to evaluate what the impact would be if the program were cut," Chong said. "We looked at the impact; that's how we ended up with these new things," she said.

Board Chairwoman Donna Ikeda said schools will have the option to continue the night patrol, if they find it successful, but they'd need to pay for it themselves.

"The schools that do find it useful can find it in their Weighted Student Formula funds," Ikeda said.

But Ikeda said the board has not been given any evidence that the program is worth keeping.

"There isn't any kind of data that the program has been effective or needed. There is nothing to substantiate spending this amount of money," Ikeda said.

The proposal was made at a BOE committee hearing on Tuesday, and so far there has been no input on the topic from school community members, Ikeda said.