The decision by the state Department of Education to unveil its spending cuts before taxpayers should yield benefits on more than one front.

Going public with a budget-cutting strategy will drum up political support for schools by showing just how much these cuts are going to hurt.

They will hurt, and the DOE is only halfway done with the painful process. The documents posted on the DOE Web site (doe.k12.hi.us) only show cuts by 10 percent; Gov. Linda Lingle is asking all departments to draw up scenarios for 15- and 20-percent cuts as well.

But the DOE is wise to invite citizen review of the budget plan for more a important reason: Its officials, as well as the Board of Education, need the advice of educators and staff, as well as the general public, to make the right decisions.

Superintendent Pat Hamamoto described the reductions in broad strokes in yesterday's televised overview, directing viewers to the Web to download the details. There, visitors will find an online form to send their reactions to policymakers.

The DOE has posted its plans for mitigating the cuts. A few examples:

• One $2 million cut will wipe out a supplemental allotment for science textbooks and materials. Schools can opt to use their own Weighted Student Formula (WSF) funds, in combination with federal dollars that may be available.

• Another $1.2 million will be subtracted from a program to recruit and retain personnel. The deleted funds had been used to pay administrative and other staff to reduce workload on schools. Again, WSF money may be tapped to pay for needed staff support.

• Athletic programs are being preserved despite a nearly $5 million cut by carving out of the budget vacant athletic trainer positions at schools that have more than one slot and trimming from supplies, equipment and transportation allotments.

This was crafted in consultation with league directors, who helped guide the scalpel away from the most essential funds.

That's the sort of collaborative effort that should be applied to the whole budget.

Taxpayers should weigh in with their own ideas of how to pool resources strategically.

Cutting this close to the budgetary core will require a conversation between the people who deliver education and those who receive it. All must find ways to keep the goal — academic achievement of students — within reach.