Hawai'i Schools Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto today will appear on a live cable TV broadcast to discuss a proposed plan to cut up to $69 million from the public school budget in 2009-2011.

Hamamoto will appear at 2 p.m. on ViewPoints on 'Olelo Channel 56, a 30-minute television program focused on news from the public schools, to discuss how the public school system plans to deal with budget reductions imposed by Gov. Linda Lingle.

Lynne Waters, ViewPoints host, is expected to ask a series of questions about the state Department of Education's reduction plan, said Sandy Goya, DOE spokeswoman.

The address also can be viewed live at www.honoluluadvertiser.com.

Lingle has asked all state departments to begin planning for 10 percent, 15 percent and 20 percent reductions in their general fund budgets in 2009-2011 because the state is projected to be more than $900 million in the red.

That means budget cuts could range from $30.7 million to $69 million for public schools. Education officials have said this would be the most severe cut to the school system budget in recent memory.

The DOE has already cut some $20 million from its budget, including $10.2 million cut by lawmakers in this year's legislative session.

The state Board of Education recently approved $9.3 million in cuts to meet 4 percent across-the-board budget reductions, also imposed by the governor.

Following the address, the DOE is expected to release a draft budget reduction proposal at www.doe.k12.hi.us. The public may comment via the Web site until Monday.