The state Board of Education has canceled its special meeting on Wednesday to discuss Department of Education budget cuts because of a scheduled court hearing the following day.

A Circuit Court judge will hold a hearing Thursday on challenges filed by labor unions to Gov. Linda Lingle's plan to furlough government workers. The Board of Education has decided to hold off on budget deliberations pending the outcome of the cases, the BOE said in a news release.

The board last met on Monday to discuss Lingle's directive to cut the Department of Education budget by an amount equivalent to three furlough days per month, or by an additional $270.3 million over the 2009-2011 biennium.

The board expects to make an announcement following next Thursday's court hearing about when it will reconvene to address the budget for public schools.